EU wants to see Russian pullout "today," Solana says

Aug 19, 2008, 13:30 GMT

Brussels - The European Union wants to see Russian troops move out of Georgia 'today,' Javier Solana, the bloc's foreign policy chief, said in Brussels on Tuesday.

'Some troops are beginning to move ... and I hope very much that within the day, the troops will begin seriously to withdraw,' said Solana.

The EU high representative was speaking as NATO ministers met at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels and ahead of talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.

While there was general agreement that Russia had gone 'too far' in Georgia, Solana said the EU's immediate priority should be to ensure that a durable ceasefire is observed.

Only then can the discussion turn to the deployment of observers and efforts to address the underlying causes of the conflict in the southern Caucasus, Solana said.

Reports out of Tbilisi suggested that Russian army troops remained fully in control of enclaves in Georgia's Gori and Poti regions on Tuesday, with forward troops continuing to improve their positions.

The Russian military says the withdrawal of troops from Georgian territory is being delayed to avoid creating a power vacuum that could lead to further violence in the north of the country.