U.S. envoy to Georgia orders Russian troops out of Abkhazia, South Ossetia

Degnan: Russia’s calls for restoration ties with Georgia unreliable until it withdraws troops

US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan has responded to the recent statement of Russian FM Sergey Lavrov on preparedness to restore relations with Georgia, stating that Georgia ‘has many times heard’ such messages from Russia and they are not trustworthy until Russia withdraws its troops from the Georgian territory.

She said that Russia ‘has taken no steps so far’ to de-occupy Georgia’s Abkhazia and Tskhinvali [South Ossetia] regions.

****