Nicolas Sarkozy: No Russian militant should remain in Georgia by October 15

“No Russian militant should remain on the Georgian territory by October 15,” Nicolas Sarkozy, French President told his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili during a special briefing held at Avlabari Residence Hall late last night.

Sarkozy hopes that the commitment of agreement will be met, otherwise, in his words, ‘the matter will look else wise.’ Sarkozy said this also refers to Georgia’s conflict zones of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Separatists, aggressors leave Ganmukhuri village

Separatist gangs have left the village of Ganmukhuri, which border the breakaway Abkhazia and Georgian police has resumed control on the territory, which has been razed to ground during the Russian aggression and the separatists’ attack.

The separatists have inflicted serious damage to the village. They burnt the pupils’ camp, the beach and the Georgian police stations.

Since August 13, the separatists and the aggressors were forcing local Georgian population to take Russian citizenship.

The IDPs have already returned to their homes in Ganmukhuri. They have been staying since the Russian aggression with their relatives in Darcheli and Kakhati villages.

UN Court Hears Georgian Claims Of Russian Rights Violations

September 08, 2008
By RFE/RL http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Court_Hears_Georgian_Claims_Of_Russian_Rights_Violations/1197354.html

The UN’s highest court has heard claims lodged by Tbilisi that ethnic Georgians have long been subjected to ethnic discrimination at the hands of Russia.

Georgia is arguing before the court that Russia has engaged in a “systematic policy” of discrimination against ethnic Georgians in breakaway South Ossetia and Abkhazia dating back to 1991.

And in the wake of Russia’s occupation of undisputed Georgian territory, The Hague-based court is being asked to uphold Tbilisi’s right to protect its citizens from racial discrimination that has resulted in what Georgian officials are calling “numerous civilian deaths and the terrorization and mass exodus of the civilian population.” 

Bush cancels civilian nuclear deal with Russia

By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – In a pointed but mostly symbolic expression of displeasure with Moscow, President Bush on Monday canceled a once-celebrated civilian nuclear cooperation deal with Russia.

Bush had sent the agreement to Congress for approval in May, after a much-heralded signing by the two nations that capped two years of tough negotiations. On Monday, he officially pulled it back, a move announced by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

“We make this decision with regret,” said Rice, in a statement read by spokesman Sean McCormack. “Unfortunately, given the current environment, the time is not right for this agreement.”

Russians ‘agree Georgia deadline’

Russia has conditionally agreed to remove its forces from Georgian land – excluding Abkhazia and South Ossetia – by the second week of October.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the pull-out would happen once 200 EU monitors deployed to South Ossetia.
Speaking after meeting French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Mr Medvedev said the withdrawal was dependent on guarantees that Georgia would not use force again.

But he made no mention of withdrawing troops from South Ossetia or Abkhazia.

And he defended Russia’s controversial decision to recognise the independence of both breakaway regions, saying the move was “irrevocable”. 

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) — Moscow has agreed to withdraw its forces from Georgia outside of its two breakaway provinces within one month, the presidents of Russia and France said Monday following the latest efforts to end the region’s territorial crisis.

Dmitry Medvedev, left, listens to Nicolas Sarkozy at presidential residence near Moscow on Monday.

Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev and France’s Nicolas Sarkozy announced that 200 European Union monitors will be deployed to one of the provinces, South Ossetia, where Russian-Georgian tensions erupted into heavy fighting last month.

Medvedev said an international summit on the situation in Georgia would be held in Geneva beginning October 15.