Russia announces plans to dismantle observation posts near Abkhazia

Below is an article published by USA Today :

Russia's Defense Ministry said observations posts near South Ossetia and Abkhazia are beginning to be dismantled, news agencies reported Tuesday [12 September 2008].

The announcement follows earlier reports from Georgian officials who said Russian forces pulled out of one position in Georgia near Abkhazia on Tuesday [12 September 2008]. That was the first sign of the withdrawal Moscow promised following talks with European Union leaders.

Defense Ministry officials in Moscow refused to immediately confirm the reports by RIA-Novosti and Interfax.
"Construction of these posts took a rather long time. It's clear that it's impossible to take them down in one day," Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of Russia's general staff, was quoted by Interfax as saying. "This will be a lengthy process."

A deal French President Nicolas Sarkozy brokered with Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev on Monday calls for removing all Russian positions in Georgia by Oct. 11 [2008]. Georgian officials say there are about 24 such posts.