The FINANCIAL — TBILISI, Despite a European Union-brokered ceasefire, tensions remain high between Russia and Georgia a year after they fought a war last August over the Moscow-backed breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, EU business informs.
Herewith a chronology of major events since the Georgia-Russia war.
2008
– August 7-11: Increasing tensions between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia lead to a full-scale military conflict when Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili sends troops into the region, prompting a Russian counter-attack which quickly crushes Georgian forces.
– August 12: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says he has decided to cease military operations, which saw Russian troops occupying swathes of territory deep inside Georgia and bombing targets across the country.
– August 16: Russia signs an EU-brokered ceasefire agreement, which had been signed by Saakashvili the day before.
– August 26: Russia formally recognizes Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states prompting condemnation from around the world.
– October 1: The European Union deploys a civilian mission in Georgia to monitor the ceasefire. Russia denies the monitors access to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
– October 10: Russian troops withdraw from most of Georgia, but remain in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
– October 22: State and private donors meeting in Brussels pledge 4.55 billion dollars (3.5 billion euros) in post-war recovery aid to Georgia.
– December 18: A Georgian parliamentary probe into the war concludes that there were "significant failures" in how the Georgian government and military handled the conflict.
2009
– April 9: The Georgian opposition launches mass protests to demand Saakashvili's resignation, accusing him of having mishandled the war with Russia and of having become increasingly authoritarian.
– May 6: NATO conducts military exercises involving hundreds of troops in Georgia amid condemnation from Moscow.
– June 16: Russia vetoes an extension of the United Nations' 16-year monitoring mission in Abkhazia.
– June 30: The 17-year-old Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe observer mission in Georgia ends after Russia blocks its extension.
– June 29: Russia mobilises thousands of troops at the border with Georgia during its biggest military exercises since the August war.
– July 7: During a visit to Moscow US President Barack Obama calls on Russia to respect Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and defends the country's right to join the NATO.
– July 22-23: US Vice President Joe Biden visits Tbilisi and reiterates US support for Georgia amid Washington's efforts to improve relations with Russia.
– July 27: The EU prolongs for one year its ceasefire monitoring mission in Georgia and demands unhindered access to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
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