Spokesmen for the White House and the German government said on August 23 that Russia had yet to fully comply with its commitments undertaken in the six-point ceasefire accord.

“Putting up permanent facilities and checkpoints are inconsistent with the agreement,” White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. “We are in contact with the various parties to obtain clarification.”

Although Russia pulled back its troops from the town of Gori and the key east-west highway in central Georgia, Russian forces are maintaining checkpoints just outside the port town of Poti and the town of Senaki in western Georgia. Russian troops also have checkpoints north of Gori, in areas recognised by all sides as Georgian. The closest one is just five kilometers from Gori in the village of Karaleti.

“The [German] government expects Russia to complete the withdrawal immediately in accordance with the six-point plan also signed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and pull back its troops to the lines [held] before the outbreak of hostilities, as was agreed,” German government spokesman Thomas Steg said in a statement, according to Reuters.

“According to our information, Russia has begun its withdrawal from Georgia, but not completed it,” he added.

He also said that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had spoken by phone with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on August 23.

“The German government expects the remaining Russian troops also to pull back from the zone south of South Ossetia, and for them to be replaced by an international mechanism as quickly as possible, in accordance with the agreements,” Steg said.

In a separate statement, Steg also said that Chancellor Merkel had proposed that the EU hold “a neighborhood conference” for Georgia.

The German weekly magazine Der Spiegel said Merkel’s idea would see the neighboring countries of Armenia and Azerbaijan participate in the conference, but not Russia, Reuters reported.