Georgia, Russia exchange war prisoners
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
IGOETI, (Georgia), Aug 19 (Agencies): Russia and Georgia Tuesday exchanged prisoners captured during their brief war, a move that may reduce tensions and, Georgia hopes, hasten the promised withdrawal of Russian troops.
Georgian Security Council head Alexander Lomaia said the swap, which initially had been planned for Monday, removes any pretext for Russians to hold positions in Igoeti. The village is the closest that Russian forces have advanced to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, about 30 miles away.
Yet as NATO foreign ministers prepared to hold an emergency meeting in Brussels over a unified response to Russia's invasion of its tiny neighbor, there still was no sign of the Russian troop pullout from Georgia that was supposed to have begun Monday.
But a Russian defense official indicated Tuesday that a complete withdrawal from Georgia proper was not imminent.
Georgian Security Council head Alexander Lomaia said the swap, which initially had been planned for Monday, removes any pretext for Russians to hold positions in Igoeti. The village is the closest that Russian forces have advanced to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, about 30 miles away.
Yet as NATO foreign ministers prepared to hold an emergency meeting in Brussels over a unified response to Russia's invasion of its tiny neighbor, there still was no sign of the Russian troop pullout from Georgia that was supposed to have begun Monday.
But a Russian defense official indicated Tuesday that a complete withdrawal from Georgia proper was not imminent.