Tbilisi: Russian forces Monday withdrew from
the last outpost they had occupied outside Georgia`s rebel
regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia since the two countries`
2008 war.
Following an announcement hailed by international
mediators, Russian border guards dismantled a checkpoint,
withdrew from the town of Perevi and moved inside the de facto
borders of South Ossetia, Georgian and European Union
officials said.
Georgia welcomed the move but said it was a "miniscule
step" and called on Russia to fully comply with the
EU-brokered ceasefire that ended the 2008 conflict.
The European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia
said the withdrawal took place without incident.
"Our patrols have been monitoring and we can confirm the
withdrawal of the Russian border guard checkpoint in Perevi,"
EUMM spokeswoman Virginia Antonini said.
"Everything went smoothly, there were absolutely no
incidents," she added.
Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili
said Georgian police had moved into Perevi following the
withdrawal and would be setting up a checkpoint in the next
few days.
Bureau Report
