Sarkozy calls for rapid Russian pull-out

Monday, August 25, 2008 at 2:08 am

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called on his Russian counterpart to withdraw his country’s forces from a road linking key Georgian cities, said a statement from his office.

But Sarkozy and President Dmitry Medvedev agreed on the need for an international mechanism under the auspices of the OSCE along the buffer zone between South Ossetia and the city of Gori, the statement issued on Saturday (August 23) said.

Sarkozy spoke to Medvedev by telephone in his capacity as the current president of the European Union. “Concerning the zone next to (the separatist region of) Abkhazia, President Sarkozy insisted on the importance of a rapid pull-out of Russian soldiers present on the Poti/Senaki route,” said the statement.

During their conversation, they also discussed the buffer zone between South Ossetia and the city of Gori and agreed on the need for an international mechanism under the auspices of the OSCE to replace Russian patrols there, the statement added.

“President Sarkozy wanted the European Union to play a full part in this international mechanism,” said the statement. That discussion took place in the context of point five of the Georgian peace plan brokered by Sarkozy on behalf of the EU.

It covers a Russian military pull-out, but also provides for Russian peacekeepers implementing security measures pending an international mission. Sarkozy and Medvedev agreed on the need for a resolution to be passed at the United Nations Security Council on the issue.

(Agencies)

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Sarkozy calls for rapid Russian pull-out

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