Brussels, 09/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - In Tbilissi, where he went to inform his Georgian counterpart of the result of talks that he had just had with Dmitri Medvedev, French President Nicolas Sarkozy welcomed the breakthroughs achieved in Moscow (EUROPE 9735). “The agreement reached in Moscow was the best that could possibly be reached”, he said during a joint press conference with Mikhail Saakashvili. “I believe a step forward has been taken this evening, a step forward along the road towards complete implementation of the six-point agreement negotiated on 12 August by President Sarkozy”, Mr Saakashvili said, pleased with the announced Russian withdrawal from Georgia but determined to have his country's territorial integrity respected.
Saakashvili thus warned that “under no circumstances will Georgia give up even one small bit of its sovereignty or one small plot of its land” despite Russia's recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. On this point, Europeans have come up against the firmness of President Medvedev, who considers this decision to be definite and irreversible (Russia thus decided on Tuesday 9 September to establish diplomatic relations with Tskhinvali and Sokhomi, the Ossetian and Abkhaz capitals). Discussions to open in Geneva on 15 October on the question of security and stability in South Ossetia and Abkhazia announce a new stage in talks. They will mainly cover the fate of refugees and displaced persons (at the time of the conflict this August and during the conflict in Abkhazia in 1993). According to the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, South Ossetia and Abkhazia should fully participate in the talks.
According to the timetable agreed on Monday, Russian troops will pull out of the check points between Poti and Senaki within a week (after Georgia's commitment to not resort to force against the two breakaway regions). They will then leave the rest of Georgian territory, but not South Ossetia or Abkhazia, by mid-October. This will be after an international observer mission has been despatched (including at least 200 Europeans), which, by 1 October at the latest, will replace the Russian peacekeeping contingent in the zones adjacent to Abkhazia and South Ossetia. “On 15 October, there must not be a single Russian soldier forward of the positions held before 7 August” (the same thing is valid for Georgian forces that should also return to the positions they held before the conflict), President Sarkozy said. If this is not complied with, “Europe will draw consequences”, he added. “Europe will be very vigilant regarding implementation of the agreement sealed with President Medvedev”, he added, considering that “the European Union's political will to the service of peace” had been demonstrated. He went on to announce, moreover, that a donors' conference in favour of reconstruction in the country would be held in Tbilissi in October. (A.B./transl.jl)