Russia: 'Forget' Georgian territorial integrity

Georgia claims more Russians enter key city as Russia says 'forget' territorial integrity

CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA
AP News

Aug 14, 2008 06:51 EST

Explosions were heard near Gori on Thursday as a Russian troop withdrawal from the strategic city seemed to collapse. A fragile cease-fire appeared even more shaky as Russia's foreign minister declared that the world "can forget about any talk about Georgia's territorial integrity."

The declaration from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov came simultaneously with the announcement that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was meeting in the Kremlin with the leaders of Georgia's two separatist provinces.

"One can forget about any talk about Georgia's territorial integrity because, I believe, it is impossible to persuade South Ossetia and Abkhazia to agree with the logic that they can be forced back into the Georgian state," Lavrov told reporters.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/08/russia_forget_georgian_territo.php