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GORI, Georgia – A column of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles left the strategic Georgian town of Gori today, but NATO said it was freezing contacts with Moscow until all Russian forces were out of the Black Sea state.
Western powers, led by the United States, have called for an immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from core Georgia under a ceasefire plan that ended 10 days of fighting over the rebel province of South Ossetia.
NATO ministers, meeting in emergency session in Brussels, backed this demand with a freeze on contacts, but did not announce moves to speed up Georgian accession to the military alliance, as Tbilisi had hoped.
The Kremlin quoted Russian President Dmitry Medvedev as saying that Russian forces would by Aug. 22 pull back to the positions set out under the French-brokered ceasefire.
That would require most of them to withdraw to Russia or South Ossetia but parts of the force, under the terms of the deal, will remain in a buffer zone around the breakaway region.
"By 22 August... a part of the peacekeepers will be pulled back to the temporary security zone," a Kremlin statement quoted Medvedev as telling French President Nicolas Sarkozy in a telephone conversation.
"The remaining contingent that was used to reinforce the peacekeepers will be pulled back to the territory of South Ossetia and to Russia," the statement said.
U.S. officials said they had not seen any substantial withdrawal of Russian troops so far.
In Gori, a strategic town on Georgia's main east-west highway, six Russian armoured personnel carriers, three tanks and two other vehicles started their engines and drove out through the sun-scorched countryside, kicking up clouds of dust.
"This is one of the first units to be pulled out," said an official from Russia's Foreign Ministry, which arranged for reporters to watch the column leave.
But close by, Russian troops could be seen digging trenches near artillery positions. Shirtless paratroopers sunbathed in the street on civilian sofas and couches.
Later today, a Reuters reporter travelling on the main road used by Russian troops to enter Georgia, saw little traffic heading out of Georgia and no evidence of a large-scale pullout.
Asked if the Russians were withdrawing, Shota Utiashvili, an official at Georgia's Interior Ministry, said: "The Russians time and again move their tanks to Tskhinvali (the South Ossetian capital) from Gori and then back again. I categorically deny this amounts to a withdrawal."
Conflict erupted over separatist South Ossetia when Georgia sent in its army to try to take back the pro-Moscow province on August 7-8, provoking a huge counter-attack from Russia.
Stepping up pressure on Tbilisi, Moscow closed its land border with Georgia and neighbouring Azerbaijan to citizens who are not from the CIS, a grouping of former Soviet states. Georgia last week said it was pulling out of the CIS.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the border closure was needed to "prevent weapons smuggling and members of foreign terrorist organisations from entering Russia".
The head of Russia's main domestic FSB spy service, Alexander Bortnikov, ordered extra security to foil what he said was a plan by Georgian security to carry out "terrorist acts" inside Russia. Georgia dismissed the accusation as "nonsense".
Air, rail and sea links between Russia and its former Soviet vassal have already been cut. The virtual blockade has hurt Georgia's economy, which depends heavily on Russia.
Western powers have condemned Russia's response as disproportionate, while Moscow says it was necessary to protect Russian citizens and Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia and prevent Georgia carrying out a "genocide".
The Russian military campaign has been popular at home but has worsened already bad relations with Washington.
Russia's navy cancelled a September visit by a U.S. frigate in the latest sign of official displeasure. The move followed a decision last week by Washington to pull out of a four-nation naval exercise with Russia in the Pacific.
In a rare sign of cooperation on the ground, Russia and Georgia successfully conducted an exchange of prisoners today on the main road in the village of Igoeti in central Georgia, about 45 kilometres from Tbilisi.
Some analysts think Russia may drag its feet in pulling out its troops to keep economic and social pressure on Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and on his pro-U.S. government, which Moscow strongly dislikes.
Saakashvili's government has ordered a crackdown on access to Russian news media and internet sites, saying this was to prevent Georgians being upset by propaganda from Moscow.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticised the move, saying: "You can probably judge objectively for yourselves the state of Georgian democracy and who is trying to wreck it."
Lavrov said Russia had no plans to occupy Georgia or annexe parts of its territory.
But Russian checkpoints now block the main east-west highway, a vital trade route which links Tbilisi with Turkey and Georgia's Black Sea ports. Russian soldiers have also moved into towns in western Georgia, controlling traffic and movement.
