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Russia, Georgia Didn’t Exchange Prisoners of War
Russia and Georgia failed to exchange prisoners of war yesterday due to the difference in lists. The exchange was slated for 12:15 a.m. Monday, Ergneti-village of Georgia, and the expectation was that all military of Georgia captured by Russia will be exchanged for all Russian war prisoners captured by Georgia.
There were 11 names in the initial list of Georgian prisoners, said Half-Colonel Andrei Bobrun, who is the aide to North Caucasus commander. But Tbilisi challenged the figure. Russia addressed North Ossetia's authorities for additional information and three names were added to the list as a result.
Two Mi-8 helicopters were to deliver 12 Georgians from the command’s office in Tskhinvali and two more wounded prisoners from local hospital. But the negotiations were broken at the last gasp and the delegation of Georgia was the first to leave the scheduled venue of exchange.
Tbilisi rejected the exchange, Georgian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Shota Utiashvili confirmed. According to Utiashvili, Major-General Vyacheslav Borisov, deputy commander of Russia's paratroopers, promised to deliver more than 80 prisoners and Georgia terminated negotiations until the destiny of remaining prisoners is clear.
Bobrun said they had never promised to exchange 80 and more. “They may say whatever they want now,” he specified.
www.kommersant
All the Article in Russian as of Aug. 19, 2008
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