Moscow says its soldiers are likely to stay in South Ossetia and Abkhazia for a long time, a day after agreeing to a deal to pull troops out of Georgia proper.Â
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It follows a short-lived war last month when Russia crushed an attempt by Georgia to retake the separatist region of South Ossetia – a conflict which then spread to the breakway region of Abkhazia.
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One of only two countries in the world to recognise the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Russia still has troops deployed deep inside Georgia.
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Yesterday, EU President France won a commitment from Moscow that it would withdraw its forces within a month, and that a 200-strong EU monitoring contingent would be deployed there instead.
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The accord was welcomed by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili who described it as “a step forwardâ€.
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But Moscow insists South Osetia and Abkhazia take part in talks scheduled next month in Geneva to discuss the situation in the volatile region.
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