Kavkaz

TEHRAN, (ISNA)-Iran’s foreign minister and the visiting Armenian energy minister Armen Movsisyan discussed regional topics and bilateral cooperation Sunday in Tehran. Iran and Armenia could cooperate on achieving a formula for the peace and stability of the important region of Caucus through interaction with other countries, said Manouchehr Mottaki.

Russia has begun pulling its troops out of Georgia, according to its deputy chief of staff. In a daily official briefing, Col-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn said the pull-out started in accordance with a six-point ceasefire plan brokered by French President Nicolas Sarokzy.

As conflicting reports come in of the state of Russia’s troop withdrawal, Georgia President’s Mikheil Saakashvili has called for direct peace talks. In a televised address, he struck a conciliatory tone and urged the Kremlin to discuss ways to avoid “discord for future generations.”

GORI, Georgia (Reuters) – Russian troops with armored cars mounted checkpoints on a major Georgian highway on Monday, ahead of a promised withdrawal from parts of the country under an international ceasefire plan.

Russian forces begin pulling out of Georgia today. That is the promise, and the Georgians want international monitors to keep an eye on things. No firm deadline for an end to military operations has been given, and the international community has been reminding Moscow that it is watching, led by …

Aid is finally starting to get through to Gori, now that Russian troops look to be loosening their grip on the Georgian town. The Red Cross and Red Crescent are delivering much-needed supplies to the war-shattered area.. And a UN aid convoy has managed to enter Gori for the first …

Russia’s president has said its forces will begin pulling out of Georgia from Monday afternoon, local time. Dmitri Medvedev made that promise in a phone call with his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country currently holds the presidency of the European Union. Sarkozy said that if Russia failed to withdraw …

In the latest round of shuttle diplomacy on the crisis in the Caucasus, German Chancellor Angela Merkel travelled to Tbilisi. After talks with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, she said the Russians were not withdrawing from his country as quickly as hoped. The German leader, who met President Medvedev on Friday, …

While a partial pullout of Russian forces may be underway in Georgia, there was still plenty of military activity to keep observers busy. Georgia has accused the Russians of setting forest fires near Tbilisi, digging into positions near the capital, and occupying key villages and a power station.

US President George W. Bush believes progress is being made in resolving the Georgia crisis. But, speaking at his ranch in Texas, he said that South Ossetia and Abkhazia are a part of Georgia and “there’s no room for debate on this matter.”