Georgia positive on Russia pledge

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/7605508.stm

Version 0 of 1.

The Georgian president has cautiously welcomed Russia's agreement to withdraw its troops from areas surrounding South Ossetia and Abkhazia by mid-October.

Mikhail Saakashvili said an important "step forward" had been taken, but reiterated that Russian forces had to also leave the two breakaway regions.

The announcement followed talks between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and the French leader, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Mr Medvedev said the pull-out would happen once 200 EU monitors deployed.

He said it was likewise dependent on guarantees that Georgia would not use force again in an attempt to regain control of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The president also defended his country's controversial decision to recognise their independence, saying the move was "irrevocable".

'Not over yet'

After meeting an EU delegation led by President Sarkozy in Tbilisi late on Monday, Mr Saakashvili gave his backing to the conditional agreement that should see Russian troops pull back to positions they held before last month's conflict.

We are not at the end of the road... We are advancing step by step French President Nicolas Sarkozy

"I think it's a step forward," he told a news conference. "We are simply at the very beginning of this major task and there is still a lot to be done."

Nevertheless, the Georgian leader made it clear that he considered South Ossetia and Abkhazia inseparable parts of his country and that the Russian military "should get the hell out".

"There is no way Georgia will ever give up a piece of its sovereignty, a piece of its territory," he warned.

Mr Saakashvili also announced that a summit focused on reconstruction would take place in Tbilisi next month with the backing of Mr Sarkozy and the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.

Mr Sarkozy meanwhile promised that the EU would keep a close eye on Russia to ensure it honoured its commitment to withdraw.

NEW PEACE MEASURES Russia to close checkpoints between Poti and Senaki within a weekSome 200 EU monitors in South Ossetia by 1 OctoberRussian forces to withdraw from undisputed land within 10 days of monitors deploying International talks on the conflict to be held in Geneva on 15 October <a class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7549736.stm">Q&A: Conflict in Georgia</a><a class="" href="/1/hi/world/7596169.stm">Russia: Potential flashpoints</a>

"Honestly, it's not over yet," he said. "We are not at the end of the road. It's a reality. We are advancing step by step."

The French president said that the EU ceasefire monitors would operate under the mandates of the UN and Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and could be expected to enter both breakaway regions.

If Russian troops do not withdraw fully to pre-conflict lines by 15 October, "Europe will draw the conclusions", he added.

The president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, meanwhile promised to build closer ties with Georgia.

"Georgia can count on the solidarity and the determined engagement of the European Union in these difficult hours. The EU is ready to deepen its political and economic relations with Georgia," he said.

Criticism of US

Visiting Moscow earlier on Monday, the EU delegation received a pledge from President Medvedev that Russian forces would pull out "from the zones adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia to the line preceding the start of hostilities".

"This withdrawal will be implemented within 10 days after the deployment in these zones of international mechanisms, including not less than 200 observers from the European Union, which must take place not later than 1 October 2008," he said.

Medvedev on Russia-Georgia withdrawal

Mr Medvedev also agreed to remove a key checkpoint near the Georgian Black Sea port of Poti within a week, and to attend international talks on the conflict in Geneva on 15 October.

But he was uncompromising in his tone towards the Georgian government and the US.

"[Georgia] is trying to reinforce its military capability and some of our partners, especially the United States, are helping them in that," he said.

Mr Medvedev accused the US of rearming Georgia under the guise of delivering humanitarian aid - a charge dismissed by Washington as "ridiculous."

In a mostly symbolic expression of displeasure with Moscow, the US state department said President Bush had pulled a US-Russia civilian nuclear pact from consideration by Congress.

Mr Sarkozy, who was pressing Russia to meet the terms of a ceasefire agreement he helped broker on 12 August, described the Moscow talks as "fruitful".

He said the exact details of the Geneva summit were still under discussion, stressing that the issue of refugees returning to their homes would be at the heart of the meeting.

Fighting between Russia and Georgia began on 7 August after the Georgian military tried to retake South Ossetia by force.

Russian forces launched a counter-attack and the conflict ended with the ejection of Georgian troops from South Ossetia and Abkhazia.