Russia accuses Georgia of provoking violence
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday it had written to European Union president France to express concern about a wave of violence in Georgia it said was part of a campaign by Tbilisi to derail a ceasefire agreement.
But the Russian Foreign Ministry, in a statement, said it remained committed to implementing its part of the agreement: a pullback of its troops from Georgian territory adjoining the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and a handover to EU ceasefire monitors.
Russia sent in troops and tanks in August in a massive counter-attack to crush an attempt by Georgian forces to retake separatist South Ossetia.
Large-scale fighting stopped a few days later, but in the past week there have been a series of low-level attacks, including a bomb explosion on Friday in South Ossetia in which seven Russian servicemen were killed.
"The impression is forming that certain forces in Tbilisi, who do not want a normal and smooth handover ... to EU monitors, are consciously seeking to worsen the situation in the region and through a series of terrorist acts are trying to provoke new military action," the foreign ministry said.
It said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had written to his French counterpart, Bernard Kouchner, voicing concern about the worsening security in the region. France's holds the EU's rotating presidency.
"Nevertheless, we are firmly intent on carrying out the agreement ... on the pullout of peacekeeping units from Georgian territory," the statement said.
