Both Russia and Georgia welcome report on war

Russia and Georgia both claim an EU-sponsored report into last year’s war, vindicates their actions.

Investigators found that Georgia started the conflict, by attacking the breakaway region of South Ossetia.

But they decided that Moscow provoked it —intentionally escalating tensions for months before.

The Russian Ambassador to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, said: “It provides an unequivocal answer to the main question,‘Who started the war?’ and it says squarely that it was Georgia’s massive shelling and its deliberate attack on the city of Tskinvali.”

Yet, Georgia continues to insist it was repelling a Russian invasion already underway.

The Georgian Ambassador to the EU, Salome Samadashvili said: “The report has proven that it was Georgia which came under invasion by the foreign state, that the sovereign country was invaded by our neighbouring country, in violation of the international law.”

“The report has proven that at no point has Georgia engaged in the campaign of ethnic cleansing and genocide as was claimed by the Russians,” she continued.

Moscow says Tbilisi shelled civilians and attacked Russian peacekeepers. Georgia says it was targeting separatist forces.

At least 250 people were killed during the five day war. Amnesty International says nearly 200,000 people were forced to flee their homes.

Copyright © 2009 euronews

tags: Europe, Georgia, Russia