Russia, France agree on "six principles"

The presidents of Russia and France agreed on six principles to resolve the situation in South Ossetia. "The first is not to resort to the use of force. The second is to halt all military action. The third is free access to humanitarian aid. The fourth is that Georgian Armed Forces should return to their bases." . Russia, France agree on "six principles" "The fifth is that Russian Armed Forces should pull back to their positions prior to combat," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told a news conference with his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, RIA Novosti reported from Moscow. "The sixth is the beginning of international discussions on the future status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and on ways to ensure their security," he added. Medvedev also said that Georgia's August 8 attack on Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, should be taken into account when deciding the future status of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway Georgian republic. He made reference to the "precedent" of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence in February, and its subsequent recognition by the United States and the majority of EU countries. Medvedev also accused Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili of lying when he said that Georgia had ceased fire two days ago. Medvedev also commented that Russia's offensive against Georgia was the only possible response to Tbilisi's attack on South Ossetia. "Bullies differ from normal people in that when they sense blood it's very hard to stop them, and then one is forced to employ surgical methods," he added. Russia has said that some 1,600 people were killed in Friday's attack on Tskhinvali by Georgian forces. Russia has accused Georgian troops of atrocities, including the burning alive of women and children. Sarkozy said at the news conference that Europe was ready to join peacekeeping operations in South Ossetia. The French leader is due to take the Russian-French peace plan to Tbilisi later this evening. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said however that if Tbilisi rejected the peace plan, Moscow would have to take measures to prevent further violence in South Ossetia. South Ossetia and Abkhazia broke away from Georgia after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Both republics fought vicious wars with Tbilisi that eventually ended in the retreat of Georgian troops and the regions gaining de facto independence. Earlier in the day, Interfax news agency reported that Medvedev called a halt to military operations in Georgia. The statement, which said that "the aggressor has been punished", came in the wake of witness reports that at least five people perished and several were wounded in the Georgian town of Gori during a Russian air strike. A media center set up on the top floor of the TV and radio center in the town was also hit in the raid. Among the victims in the town is a Dutch journalist, the Dutch ambassador to Georgia has confirmed. Ono Van Elderenbos said that he could not release the journalist’s name, who worked for the RTL-2 station. Another journalist was injured. A Reuters photographer said that he had seen five corpses and four wounded civilians lying on the streets after the bombing raid. Two of the wounded, he said, were journalists. He added that the bombs had fallen without warning as he was driving along deserted roads in the town. All the shops had been boarded up, while only a few residents could be seen wandering along the streets. “Bombs are falling in front of us and next to us,“ said one Reuters reporter in Gori. The bombed-out roads run close to a hill the Russian air force bombed earlier in an attack on Georgian artillery positions. Georgian forces pulled out of Gori yesterday. Four explosions shook the outskirts of the town earlier in the day, though it is not clear whether they were part of an aerial or artillery attack. A number of convoys of civilian vehicles have been seen exiting the town. No troops have been observed on the road between Gori and the Georgian capital Tbilisi, some 60km away, only abandoned military vehicles and a burnt-out tank. Meanwhile, Georgian troops were also coming under attack in Abkhazia. According to information from the battlefield, the Russian army has taken the towns of Senaki, Zugdidi and Kurga, thus opening a second front. The Russian Ministry of Defense denies allegations by Georgian officials that Russian troops have moved into the town of Gori, saying that the army has no plans of moving into Georgia proper. Sources in Georgia claim that Russian troops have also moved into the Georgian Black Sea port of Poti. In a televised address last night, Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze said that there had been no victims in that action. "We are sorry that we’ve had to witness such developments without more active intervention from our Western allies,” the prime minister said. However, in a statement to the Itar Tass agency, the Russian Ministry of Defense denied that Russian troops had taken Poti. The ministry announced that they had sent only “a reconnaissance unit but that it has already left the town.“ Late last night, the Georgian government announced that Russian forces had entered the town of Kobi, near Abkhazia, located between Poti and Senaki, where, according to Georgian sources, the Russian army had destroyed an army base. Sarkozy, Medvedev in the Kremlin today (Beta) Saakashvili: Georgia cut in two Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili said today the Russian army has occupied a section of the highway connecting western and eastern Georgia. Saakashvili told an emergency government session that Russia had “practically blocked Georgia from the air, sea and land,” and that “it had occupied a significant part of Georgian territory,” Itar-Tass reported. According to the agency, the Georgian president did not specify which section of the highway had been occupied. Saakashvili said that Georgia faced the loss of its very independence, RIA Novosti reported Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said earlier that Russian soldiers had taken control of the Georgian air base in Senaki, a town in western Georgia, adding that a “column was on its way [to the base] with Russian equipment.“ UN observers confirmed that Russian troops in Abkhazia had moved into Georgian proper, said UN Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Edmond Mulet. Mulet told Reuters that observers stationed in Abkhazia had confirmed that Russian troops had taken over a military base near the town of Senaki in Georgia proper. He said that it was the first independent confirmation that Russian troops had moved beyond the territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia into Georgia. "We are talking about Russian troops here, not peacekeepers,” Mulet underlined.

Russia, France agree on "six principles"

"The fifth is that Russian Armed Forces should pull back to their positions prior to combat," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told a news conference with his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, RIA Novosti reported from Moscow.

"The sixth is the beginning of international discussions on the future status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and on ways to ensure their security," he added.

Medvedev also said that Georgia's August 8 attack on Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, should be taken into account when deciding the future status of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway Georgian republic.

He made reference to the "precedent" of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence in February, and its subsequent recognition by the United States and the majority of EU countries.

Medvedev also accused Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili of lying when he said that Georgia had ceased fire two days ago.

Medvedev also commented that Russia's offensive against Georgia was the only possible response to Tbilisi's attack on South Ossetia.

"Bullies differ from normal people in that when they sense blood it's very hard to stop them, and then one is forced to employ surgical methods," he added.

Russia has said that some 1,600 people were killed in Friday's attack on Tskhinvali by Georgian forces. Russia has accused Georgian troops of atrocities, including the burning alive of women and children.

Sarkozy said at the news conference that Europe was ready to join peacekeeping operations in South Ossetia.

The French leader is due to take the Russian-French peace plan to Tbilisi later this evening.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said however that if Tbilisi rejected the peace plan, Moscow would have to take measures to prevent further violence in South Ossetia.

South Ossetia and Abkhazia broke away from Georgia after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Both republics fought vicious wars with Tbilisi that eventually ended in the retreat of Georgian troops and the regions gaining de facto independence.

Earlier in the day, Interfax news agency reported that Medvedev called a halt to military operations in Georgia.

The statement, which said that "the aggressor has been punished", came in the wake of witness reports that at least five people perished and several were wounded in the Georgian town of Gori during a Russian air strike. A media center set up on the top floor of the TV and radio center in the town was also hit in the raid.

Among the victims in the town is a Dutch journalist, the Dutch ambassador to Georgia has confirmed. Ono Van Elderenbos said that he could not release the journalist’s name, who worked for the RTL-2 station. Another journalist was injured.

A Reuters photographer said that he had seen five corpses and four wounded civilians lying on the streets after the bombing raid. Two of the wounded, he said, were journalists.

He added that the bombs had fallen without warning as he was driving along deserted roads in the town. All the shops had been boarded up, while only a few residents could be seen wandering along the streets.

“Bombs are falling in front of us and next to us,“ said one Reuters reporter in Gori.

The bombed-out roads run close to a hill the Russian air force bombed earlier in an attack on Georgian artillery positions. Georgian forces pulled out of Gori yesterday.

Four explosions shook the outskirts of the town earlier in the day, though it is not clear whether they were part of an aerial or artillery attack. A number of convoys of civilian vehicles have been seen exiting the town.

No troops have been observed on the road between Gori and the Georgian capital Tbilisi, some 60km away, only abandoned military vehicles and a burnt-out tank.

Meanwhile, Georgian troops were also coming under attack in Abkhazia.

According to information from the battlefield, the Russian army has taken the towns of Senaki, Zugdidi and Kurga, thus opening a second front.

The Russian Ministry of Defense denies allegations by Georgian officials that Russian troops have moved into the town of Gori, saying that the army has no plans of moving into Georgia proper.

Sources in Georgia claim that Russian troops have also moved into the Georgian Black Sea port of Poti. In a televised address last night, Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze said that there had been no victims in that action.

"We are sorry that we’ve had to witness such developments without more active intervention from our Western allies,” the prime minister said.

However, in a statement to the Itar Tass agency, the Russian Ministry of Defense denied that Russian troops had taken Poti. The ministry announced that they had sent only “a reconnaissance unit but that it has already left the town.“

Late last night, the Georgian government announced that Russian forces had entered the town of Kobi, near Abkhazia, located between Poti and Senaki, where, according to Georgian sources, the Russian army had destroyed an army base.

Saakashvili: Georgia cut in two

Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili said today the Russian army has occupied a section of the highway connecting western and eastern Georgia.

Saakashvili told an emergency government session that Russia had “practically blocked Georgia from the air, sea and land,” and that “it had occupied a significant part of Georgian territory,” Itar-Tass reported.

According to the agency, the Georgian president did not specify which section of the highway had been occupied.

Saakashvili said that Georgia faced the loss of its very independence, RIA Novosti reported

Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said earlier that Russian soldiers had taken control of the Georgian air base in Senaki, a town in western Georgia, adding that a “column was on its way [to the base] with Russian equipment.“

UN observers confirmed that Russian troops in Abkhazia had moved into Georgian proper, said UN Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Edmond Mulet.

Mulet told Reuters that observers stationed in Abkhazia had confirmed that Russian troops had taken over a military base near the town of Senaki in Georgia proper.

He said that it was the first independent confirmation that Russian troops had moved beyond the territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia into Georgia.

"We are talking about Russian troops here, not peacekeepers,” Mulet underlined.