Russian President Dmitri Medvedev Signs Georgian Cease-Fire Agreement

18 August 2008

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has signed a cease-fire agreement aimed at bringing an end to hostilities with neighboring Georgia.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev

Mr. Medvedev signed the document Saturday, one day after Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili put his signature on it. The cease-fire plan, negotiated by France, calls for Russian forces to withdraw to the positions they held before fighting broke out in Georgia's Russian-backed separatist region of South Ossetia.

Separatist leaders from South Ossetia and the other Georgian breakaway region, Abkhazia, also signed it.

In Washington Friday, U.S. President George Bush said Russia must end the crisis in Georgia to repair damage to its relations with the United States, Europe and other nations. In his weekly radio address, Mr. Bush called Russia's invasion of Georgia "completely unacceptable."

Mr. Bush is meeting at his Texas ranch Saturday with his national security team, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who just returned from a fact-finding trip to France and Georgia.

A Kremlin spokesman made the announcement Saturday.

Earlier, Russia's Foreign Ministry said it had received a copy of a cease-fire document. It said it was identical to the one already signed in Moscow by separatist leaders from the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili signed the cease-fire after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Tblisi on Friday. He said he signed the document only after getting "clarifications" from the French, who negotiated the deal earlier this week.

Rice said Russian troops must immediately withdraw from Georgia under the agreement.

Meanwhile, U.S. President George Bush says Russia must end the crisis in Georgia to repair damage to its relations with the United States, Europe and other nations.

In his weekly Saturday radio address released Friday, Mr. Bush called Russia's invasion of Georgia "completely unacceptable."

President Bush urged Russia to respect Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and honor its pledge to withdraw forces from Georgian territory.

He also said the United States will continue to deliver humanitarian aid to Georgia and he called on Russia to keep open all lines of communication and transport.

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Rice expressed support for Georgia's independence and democratic system.

She also said the United States favors the deployment of an "impartial" international peacekeeping force in Georgia.