Georgia: PACE President calls for immediate and total withdrawal of Russian troops

PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE
Press release
August 25, 2008

Strasbourg, 25.08.2008 - Lluís Maria de Puig, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), today urged Russia to respect fully its commitments under the cease-fire agreement brokered by French President Sarkozy to end the conflict which recently erupted in Georgia.
“This includes the immediate and total withdrawal of Russia’s troops from Georgia to positions before the outbreak of the hostilities”, said PACE President. “The current occupation by Russian troops of strategic positions in Georgia is unacceptable and can by no means be considered as ‘additional security measures’ referred to in the cease-fire agreement,” he continued.
“Russia, as a member state of the Council of Europe, has taken on obligations and commitments to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbours, to settle differences by peaceful means and to uphold human rights and humanitarian law,” said Lluís Maria de Puig. “What we are witnessing today in Georgia, with the Russian military action, is the violation of those commitments,” he concluded.