Georgia, Tbilisi, Oct. 20 / Trend N.Kirtzkhalia /
Withdrawing its troops from the Perevi village of the Sachkhere region of Georgia, Russia made the first step to implement the ceasefire agreement dated Aug.12, 2008, the head of the EU observer mission in Georgia, Hans Joerg Haber, told journalists in Tbilisi.
The statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the withdrawal of the Russian troops from the Perevi village means the Russia's non-fulfillment of the Sarkozy-Medvedev agreement has been resolved and it does not has any international obligations in this regard now.
"This is Russia's position, but the EU has a different point of view," Haber said. He stressed that the Russian troops must return to positions they held before Aug. 8, 2008.
However, Haber expressed satisfaction with the fact that today the inhabitants of Perevi are able to move without restrictions.
On Aug. 8, 2008, large-scale military action began in the breakaway republic of South Ossetia. The Georgian troops entered Tskhinvali. Later Russia's troops occupied the city and drove the Georgian military to the territory of Georgia. In late August, Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In response, Tbilisi severed diplomatic relations with Moscow and declared the two breakaway republics as the occupied territories.
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