August 14, 2008

At a press conference today in Tbilsi, Georgia, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced a six point deal brokered by French President Sarkozy that would require the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from the disputed territories.

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"The Russian attack on Georgia had profound implications and will have profound implications for Russia's relations with its neighbors and with the world. But our most urgent task today is the immediate and orderly withdrawal of Russian armed forces and the return of those forces to Russia. France has brokered a six part cease fire accord that will achieve that result if it is indeed honored."

Local Georgian news outlet Civil has more.

UPDATE: Georgian President Saakashvili has signed the cease-fire deal.

Rough transcript below the fold:

(Transcript via Heather)

Mr. President as President Bush noted in his statement a couple of days ago, uh he has sent me here to show the solidarity of the United States with Georgia and its people in this moment of crisis. We support Georgia's sovereignty. We support its independence. We support its territorial integrity. We support its democracy and its democratically elected government. That is America's position and in my discussions with uh my European colleagues it is the position of the Europeans as well. The Russian attack on Georgia had profound implications and will have profound implications for Russia's relations with its neighbors and with the world. But our most urgent task today is the immediate and orderly withdrawal of Russian armed forces and the return of those forces to Russia. France has brokered a six part cease fire accord that will achieve that result if it is indeed honored.

President Saakashvili as he has said has signed this document. After I have been able to offer, uh some clarifications from President Sarkozy about the meaning of certain terms. The President has signed it and now with the signature of the Georgia President on this cease fire accord all Russian troops and any irregular and paramilitary forces that entered with them must leave immediately. This is the understanding that I had with President Sarkozy yesterday, which is that when President Saakashvili signed this cease fire accord there would be an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from Georgian territory.

With the signature of this cease fire accord by Georgia, ah this must take place and take place now. Now in order to stabilize the situation in Georgia we need international observers on the scene fast. And eventually we need a more robust and impartial peace keeping international force that would follow those monitors.

Finnish Foreign Minister Stubb who is the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE has told us that the monitors could come to Georgia in a matter of days. I count on Russian cooperation in getting those monitors in. The United States and others are already providing humanitarian assistance to the Georgian people. Access must be immediate and unimpeded for those humanitarian efforts. When the security situation in Georgia is stabilized we will turn immediately to reconstruction and people who are displaced from their homes must be allowed to return and live in security. I want to reiterate again what the President said. He directed Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to begin a humanitarian mission to the people of Georgia headed by the United States military. That mission will be vigorous and ongoing and I believe Mr. President that that mission is now well under way.

We've started work with the Georgian government and have engaged the G7, the IMF and other international financial institutions to rapidly develop and economic support package for the Georgian economy to build on its demonstrated track record and to resume its rapid growth. We anticipate that this package will include various multilateral and bilateral mechanisms. The package should restore Georgia's economy and reinforce investor confidence as Georgia returns to its position as a leading economy in the region. Georgia has been attacked. Russian forces need to leave Georgia at once. The world needs to help Georgia maintain its sovereignty, its territorial integrity and its independence. This is no longer 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia when a great power invaded a small neighbor and overthrew its government. The free world will now have to wrestle with the profound implications of this Russian attack on its neighbor for security in the region and beyond. Thank you very much Mr. President.

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