The United States will consults with the European Union to assess whether or not Russia is fully complying with the September 8 agreement, a U.S. Department of State spokesman said.
Sean McCormack said on October 8 that Russia was “in fact, starting to comply with the September 8th agreement with the EU” by removing its checkpoints and pulling back its troops from the areas adjacent to breakaway South Ossetia and Abkhazia. He added that it was “a good sign.”
“We’ll have an assessment for you next week,” he told journalist in Washington. “Once the Russians say that they have completed their activities, then we’ll consult with the European Union for their assessment of whether or not Russia has fully complied with the September 8th agreement, then we’ll perhaps be able to provide you an update then.”
Meanwhile, the Russian military commander on the ground in South Ossetia said late on October 8 that the pull out of forces and removal of all the checkpoints had been fully completed. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said earlier on October 8 that the removal of the checkpoints would be completed by midnight.
Although officials in Tbilisi have confirmed that Russia was pulling back from the areas outside South Ossetia and Abkhazia, they say full compliance with its commitments undertaken in the August 12 six-point ceasefire accord and the September 8 agreement between the Russian and French presidents, will only happen when Russia withdraws to pre-conflict positions.
Troop withdrawals to pre-war positions is envisaged in the August 12 six-point ceasefire plan.
That means that Russian forces should withdraw from Akhalgori, as well as from some villages around Tskhinvali, which were controlled by Tbilisi before the war. Russia, however, said the reality had changed since August 12, as Russia had recognized the breakaway region’s independence in the mean time.
Although the September 8 agreement between the French and Russian presidents does not directly indicate the need to return to pre-war positions, the document makes a reference to the previous accord, saying the sides remain committed to its principles.
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