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Russia says Saakashvili still dangerous

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Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has failed to learn lessons from the conflict over South Ossetia and still poses a threat to stability in the Caucasus.
MOSCOW, September 26 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has failed to learn lessons from the conflict over South Ossetia and still poses a threat to stability in the Caucasus.

The ministry also called on the European Union, which has agreed to deploy military observers in Georgia, to ensure that Georgia does not launch further attacks.

"We hope that the European Union, which pledged to guarantee the non-use of force principle, will take into account Saakashvili's habit of breaking promises," the statement said.

Foreign ministers of the 27 EU member states approved the deployment of at least 200 observers in Georgia's "buffer zone" near South Ossetia and Abkhazia on September 15. The initial decision to deploy the mission, which is expected to be in place by October 1, was made during an emergency summit in Brussels in early September.

The mission will ensure that a peace plan signed by the French and Russian presidents is complied with, and will also assist in maintaining public order and ensuring the return of refugees. The observers will comprise police and military personnel, as well as lawyers and human rights advocates, some of whom will be armed, according to diplomatic sources.

Once the EU mission has been deployed, Russia will have 10 days to complete a full troop pull out from undisputed parts of Georgia.

Russia's military operation in Georgia came in response to an attack by Georgian forces on breakaway South Ossetia on August 8. Russian peacekeepers will continue to be deployed in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Western nations strongly criticized Russia for its "disproportionate" response to Georgia's attack and its recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on August 26. Only Nicaragua has joined Russia in recognizing the republics, although Belarus may soon follow suit.

Abkhazia and South Ossetia broke away from Georgia following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s amid armed conflicts that claimed thousands of lives.

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