ID :
16705
Fri, 08/22/2008 - 23:30
Auther :
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http://m.oananews.org//node/16705
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Russia withdrawing troops from Georgia
Moscow, Aug 22 (PTI) Russia will complete the pullout of its forces from Georgia by midnight Friday, but its peacekeepers will remain in the buffer zone along the line of control which existed on August 7 before Tbilisi's offensiveto regain breakaway province of South Ossetia.
"Only Russian peacekeeping units will remain at specially equipped security check-posts within the limits of security zones established in line with coordinated security principles, which Russia strictly abides by," DefenceMinister Anatoly Serdyukov said.
According to Deputy Chief of General Staff, Col-Gen Anatoly Nogovitsyn, except for a limited number of army personnel deputed on South Ossetia peacekeeping mission willbe withdrawn back to their barracks in Russia.
Russia under scathing attack from Washington and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (N.A.T.O.) Friday got a shot in the arm, when the US Ambassador John Beyrle conceded that Moscow was right when it retaliated Georgian attack on itspeacekeepers in South Ossetia.
"From the very beginning we repeated that this conflict cannot be resolved by force. Till the last moment we dissuaded the Georgian side not to do this. And now we are convincing the Russian side to respect ceasefire agreement and withdraw its troops from the Georgian territory," Beyrle told Kommersant daily adding that Russian troops' response to attack on its peacekeepers in South Ossetia was "quitejustified".
Meanwhile, responding to the N.A.T.O. decision to freeze ties with Russia till withdrawal of troops from Georgia, the Russian Defence Ministry has suspended military cooperation with the US-led Western alliance and has recalled its N.A.T.Oenvoy for consultations.
"Cooperation with N.A.T.O. is a complex issue, and until Russia's political leaders have made a decision on what is involved, the Defence Ministry has suspended military cooperation with the alliance," Moscow's N.A.T.O. envoy DmitryRogozin was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
N.A.T.O. foreign ministers said on Tuesday that the alliance was freezing contacts with Russia until it pulled its troops out of Georgia, but stopped short of stronger measuresas demanded by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday that the country's future ties with N.A.T.O. depend on how theWestern military alliance chooses to act.
"We are not planning to slam the door, and they are also keeping the door open. Everything depends on the prioritiesthat N.A.T.O. chooses, not on us," Lavrov said.
Russian State Duma (lower house) has convened its emergency session on Monday to discuss the requests of Georgia's breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia torecognise their independence.
"Only Russian peacekeeping units will remain at specially equipped security check-posts within the limits of security zones established in line with coordinated security principles, which Russia strictly abides by," DefenceMinister Anatoly Serdyukov said.
According to Deputy Chief of General Staff, Col-Gen Anatoly Nogovitsyn, except for a limited number of army personnel deputed on South Ossetia peacekeeping mission willbe withdrawn back to their barracks in Russia.
Russia under scathing attack from Washington and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (N.A.T.O.) Friday got a shot in the arm, when the US Ambassador John Beyrle conceded that Moscow was right when it retaliated Georgian attack on itspeacekeepers in South Ossetia.
"From the very beginning we repeated that this conflict cannot be resolved by force. Till the last moment we dissuaded the Georgian side not to do this. And now we are convincing the Russian side to respect ceasefire agreement and withdraw its troops from the Georgian territory," Beyrle told Kommersant daily adding that Russian troops' response to attack on its peacekeepers in South Ossetia was "quitejustified".
Meanwhile, responding to the N.A.T.O. decision to freeze ties with Russia till withdrawal of troops from Georgia, the Russian Defence Ministry has suspended military cooperation with the US-led Western alliance and has recalled its N.A.T.Oenvoy for consultations.
"Cooperation with N.A.T.O. is a complex issue, and until Russia's political leaders have made a decision on what is involved, the Defence Ministry has suspended military cooperation with the alliance," Moscow's N.A.T.O. envoy DmitryRogozin was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
N.A.T.O. foreign ministers said on Tuesday that the alliance was freezing contacts with Russia until it pulled its troops out of Georgia, but stopped short of stronger measuresas demanded by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday that the country's future ties with N.A.T.O. depend on how theWestern military alliance chooses to act.
"We are not planning to slam the door, and they are also keeping the door open. Everything depends on the prioritiesthat N.A.T.O. chooses, not on us," Lavrov said.
Russian State Duma (lower house) has convened its emergency session on Monday to discuss the requests of Georgia's breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia torecognise their independence.
