The Russian head of state told his French colleague about the end of operations to oblige Georgian authorities to restore peace. Dmitry Medvedev stressed that the operations in South Ossetia have ended because they have achieved their main goal – to protect Russian peacekeepers and the civilian population.

The President of Russia declared that a final settlement to the conflict is possible provided that the following two conditions are fulfilled: the withdrawal of Georgian troops to their initial positions and the signing of a legally binding agreement abjuring the use of force.

Later on, Dmitry Medvedev and Nicolas Sarkozy continued their discussion of the situation in South Ossetia over a working lunch. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the Russian and French foreign ministers, Sergei Lavrov and Bernard Kouchner, and presidential aides Sergei Prikhodko and Jean-David Levitte also took part in the discussion.

Direct link