Russia to start pullout today

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told French President Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday that Russian forces would begin withdrawing from Georgia around midday today, Sarkozy's office said in a statement.

Sarkozy, whose country holds the rotating European Union presidency, telephoned Medvedev yesterday to discuss the French-brokered ceasefire deal Russia has signed with Georgia.

"He stressed that the signature of the six point ceasefire agreement signed by all the parties concerned, most recently by the President of the Russian Federation, must result in the immediate withdrawal of all Russian military forces that have entered Georgia since Aug 7," the statement said.