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| Russians pull out of Georgia port | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Russian troops have withdrawn from the Georgian port of Poti on the country's Black Sea coast. | |
| Trucks and armoured vehicles had left the town and other bases in western Georgia and were seen heading towards the separatist territory of Abkhazia. | 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 has agreed to an EU-backed truce requiring it to withdraw troops from bases inside the undisputed territory of Georgia. | Russia has agreed to an EU-backed truce requiring it to withdraw troops from bases inside the undisputed territory of Georgia. |
| The bases were set up after a five-day war with Georgia in August. | The bases were set up after a five-day war with Georgia in August. |
| Russian troops are expected to remain in the disputed territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. | Russian troops are expected to remain in the disputed territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. |
| Separately on Saturday, Georgian officials said a policeman had been shot dead near the border with Abkhazia. | Separately on Saturday, Georgian officials said a policeman had been shot dead near the border with Abkhazia. |
| 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. See a map of the region Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier this week that Moscow needed to maintain a presence in the regions to ensure security. | 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. See a map of the region Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier this week that Moscow needed to maintain a presence in the regions to ensure security. |
| Dispute with EU | 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. | 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| Georgian interior ministry official Shota Utiashvili said Russia had "withdrawn completely from Poti", the Associated Press news agency reports. | 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 | 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. | 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 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
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