Brussels - The European Union's top foreign-policy official, Javier Solana, on Wednesday hailed Russian moves to pull out of parts of Georgia. "I just spoke to the head of mission of the EU Monitoring Mission, Hansjorg Haber, who confirmed to me that the withdrawal is taking place and that the co-operation with the Russian commanders continues to be very constructive," Solana said in a statement.
"I express my satisfaction with the evolution of the situation and I welcome the words of (Russian) President (Dmitry) Medvedev that the withdrawal will be completed by midnight," Solana said.
In the wake of August's Russian-Georgian war which ended in a Russian military occupation of parts of Georgia, the EU decided to freeze talks on a strategic treaty with Russia until the Kremlin pulled its troops back to pre-conflict lines.
On September 8, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who holds the bloc's rotating presidency, brokered a deal whereby the EU would deploy monitors adjacent to the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by October 1, and Russian troops would leave the area within 10 days.
The more than 200 monitors deployed on October 1, giving Russian forces until Friday to retreat. On Wednesday, Medvedev said that the pull-out would be completed by midnight.
EU leaders are now set to debate whether they should re-open talks on the strategic treaty at a summit on October 15. However, arguments remain as to whether Russia has pulled back to "pre-conflict lines," since it currently maintains several thousand troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia who were not there before the fighting started.
