Georgia and Russia mark anniversary of South Ossetia War

08/08/12 22:03 CET

world news

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Russian Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev has visited Tskhinvali, the capital of the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia, to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the five day war between Russia and Georgia.

Medvedev was president in 2008 and sent the Russian army into the region after Georgian President Mikheil Saakashivili tried to reassert control over the Moscow backed region.

Current Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed that Russia had laid contingency plans for such a conflict and even trained militiamen in the region.

The comments led Georgia to accuse the Kremlin of starting the conflict.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashivili took part in ceremonies in Gori and Tbilisi.

The move to send Russian troops to Georgia drew international condemnation, especially from the US, which openly backed Tbilisi’s pro-Western policies.

More about: Anniversary, Armed conflicts, Georgia, Russia, War

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