Sarkozy's Georgia peace plan agreed in principle
Georgia and Russia agreed in principle to an EU-brokered peace plan over South Ossetia on Wednesday as the U.S. showed disapproval of Moscow's attacks on its neighbour by cancelling a joint naval exercise.
Georgia opposition leader dies suddenlyFrench President Nicolas Sarkozy and his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili agreed late on Tuesday to a modified version of a six-point peace plan endorsed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
"It is a political document. It 'is an agreement of principles...and I think we have full coincidence of principles," Saakashvili told a joint news conference with Sarkozy.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Moscow's military operations in Georgia had jeopardised Russia's integration into international institutions.
"There are any number of opportunities for Russia to reverse course and to demonstrate that it is trying to behave according to 21st century principles," she said.
"But I can assure you that Russia's international reputation and what role Russia can play in the international community is very much at stake here.
In its first concrete action of protest, the United States on Tuesday cancelled a Pacific Ocean naval exercise set for next week involving Russia, Britain and France.
"There is no way in good conscience that we could proceed with a joint naval exercise given the state of this crisis," a senior U.S. defence official said on the condition of anonymity as no official announcement had been made.
Earlier on Tuesday Medvedev ordered a halt to military operations in Georgia ahead of Sarkozy's arrival in support of the international peace plan.
But Georgia cast doubt on Moscow's announcement and U.S. officials could not confirm the Russian attacks had stopped.
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