Medvedev: Georgia must withdraw troops from South Ossetia, Georgia submits note on cease-fire to Russia

www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-11 04:51:57

MOSCOW, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) --

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Sunday Georgia must withdraw all its troops from the breakaway region of South Ossetia and a legally binding agreement on the non-use of force must be signed to normalize the situation there, the Kremlin press service said.

During his telephone conversation with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, "Medvedev expressed his opinion of the tragic events in South Ossetia resulting from the large-scale aggressive armed actions unleashed by the Georgian leadership," the Kremlin said.

Medvedev said the withdrawal of all Georgian armed forces from South Ossetia must be guaranteed and a legally binding agreement must be signed between Georgia and South Ossetia on the non-use offorce.

He also indicated that Georgia should take all these steps without any preliminary conditions, the Kremlin said.

A corresponding understanding was reached during the conversation between Medvedev and Sarkozy, whose country now holds the EU presidency, the Kremlin said, adding that Sarkozy will arrive in Moscow early next week to discuss the situation in the conflict zone.

Meanwhile, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said in a televised address on Sunday Georgian authorities are maintaining contacts with the Russian side.

He said he has held several telephone conversations with the French president, and was also in contact with the "U.S. president, vice president and state secretary, the heads of other leading countries."

Saakashvili added that the "Georgian authorities are doing all the necessary for ensuring security and the protection of the country's independence."

On Friday, Georgian troops began a military action against South Ossetia's forces in an attempt to re-establish control over the region. In response, Russian troops moved into the region to fight the Georgian forces.

Russia has said the two-day conflict has killed 1,500 people and the death toll is expected to rise.

Editor: Yan

Georgia submits note on cease-fire to Russia

www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-10 22:53:04

MOSCOW, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) --

Georgia submitted on Sunday to the Russian embassy in Tbilisi a note on cease-fire while Russia said Georgia has not stopped hostilities in its breakaway region of South Ossetia yet.

"Georgia is ready to start immediate talks with the Russian Federation on an end to all hostilities and a cease-fire," Interfax news agency quoted the Georgian Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement.

The ministry said all Georgian armed forces have been pulled out from the conflict zone, and a humanitarian corridor was formed for civilians and the wounded to leave the area.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed that it has received the note. However, it said exchanges of fire continued in the region and Georgian troops have not been fully withdrawn.

Earlier in the day, Deputy Chief of the Russian General Staff Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn said at a press conference in Moscow that peacekeepers have controlled most part of the regional capital Tskhinvali.

"The situation is changing rapidly," Nogovitsyn said, adding that Georgia is pulling in reserves and continues to withdraw troops from Tskhinvali.

Nogovitsyn denied Georgia's claims that Russian warplanes deliver strikes on Georgian populated areas, saying Russian aviation is only being used against armed formations.

He also told the press that Lt. Gen. Anatoly Khrulyov, commander of the 58th army of the North Caucasus Military District, was wounded by a shell fragment and hospitalized in Vladikavkaz.

Peacekeepers' headquarters said that some 7,400 Georgian troops, about 100 tanks and artillery engaged in the offensive in Tskhinvali.

Meanwhile, Georgian National Security Council Secretary Alexander Lomaya said Georgian forces have moved to new positions on Sunday following Russian air strikes that continued almost overnight Saturday.

Over 2,000 people were killed in the onslaught in South Ossetia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said at a Sunday briefing in Moscow, adding that over 30,000 refugees had been forced to leave Tskhinvali and other towns.

Speaking at a meeting with chairman of the Investigative Committee, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday called Georgia's actions in South Ossetia genocide.

"The forms of the actions of the Georgian side cannot be described otherwise than genocide because they assumed massive nature and were aimed against individual people -- civilians and peacekeepers who performed their peacekeeping functions in the region," he said.

Editor: Yan

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