This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/7613749.stm

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Russians 'leaving Georgian port' Russians 'leaving Georgian port'
(about 3 hours later)
Russian troops have begun withdrawing from the Georgian port of Poti, on the country's Black Sea coast, reports say. Russian troops have begun withdrawing from the Georgian port of Poti on the country's Black Sea coast, reports say.
A column of trucks, soldiers and armoured vehicles left the town, apparently heading towards Abkhazia, one of Georgia's pro-Russian regions. Trucks and armoured vehicles had left the town and other bases in western Georgia and were seen heading towards the separatist territory of Abkhazia.
Russia had agreed to pull its troops out of Georgia under a ceasefire deal brokered by the European Union to end a brief conflict with Georgia in August. Russia has agreed to an EU-backed truce requiring it to withdraw troops from bases inside the undisputed territory of Georgia.
Troops are expected to remain within South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The bases were set up after a five-day war with Georgia in August.
Earlier in the week Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow needed a continuing presence in Georgia's breakaway regions, to ensure security. Russian troops are expected to remain in the disputed territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Moscow says it has established formal diplomatic ties with the administrations in the two regions, following an "irrevocable" decision - to recognise them as independent states. name="goback"> Moscow says it has established formal diplomatic ties with the administrations in the two regions, following its "irrevocable" decision to recognise them as independent last month. class="bodl" href="#map">See a map of the regionRussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier this week that Moscow needed to maintain a presence in the regions to ensure security.
Dispute with EU
Early on Saturday, Russian troops stationed at two bases in Poti were seen packing their belongings into vehicles that then set off along the road towards Abkhazia.
Georgian interior ministry official Shota Utiashvili said Russia had "withdrawn completely from Poti", the Associated Press news agency reports.
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 Q&A: Conflict in GeorgiaRussia: Potential flashpoints
Much of the Georgian port's naval infrastructure had been destroyed by the Russian military during the fighting.
The Russians were required to withdraw from Poti and from the nearby town of Senaki by Monday, under the terms of a ceasefire deal brokered earlier this week by the EU.
The deal also requires the Russians to complete a full withdrawal from all bases on Georgian territory - except for South Ossetia and Abkhazia - following the planned deployment of EU monitors to the area by 1 October.
Moscow later clashed with the EU over the terms of the deal, saying it had not given EU monitors the right to enter Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The two regions have had de facto independence since a civil war in the early 1990s, and Moscow has strongly backed their breakaway governments.
Fighting between Russia and Georgia began on 7 August after the Georgian military tried to retake the breakaway region of South Ossetia by force.Fighting between Russia and Georgia began on 7 August after the Georgian military tried to retake the breakaway region of South Ossetia by force.
Russian forces launched a counter-attack and the conflict ended with the ejection of Georgian troops from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia.Russian forces launched a counter-attack and the conflict ended with the ejection of Georgian troops from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Hundreds of people were killed in the fighting and some 200,000 were displaced - most of them Georgians.
Russian forces also set up several bases on Georgian territory outside the separatist regions, in so-called "buffer zones" - a move criticised by Georgia and the EU as a violation of an earlier ceasefire deal.
Click to return