VOA标准英语2008年-Russia to Withdraw Troops From Buffer Zone in G

Russia has agreed to withdraw its troops from controversial buffer¹ zones it had set up around Georgia's breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. VOA Moscow Correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports the announcement by the Russian president was made following talks with visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
　
Presidents Sarkozy (l) and Medvedev at the presidential residence outside Moscow, 08 Sep 2008

After talks with the French president near Moscow, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said all Russian troops will be withdrawn² from areas of Georgia adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia to positions held before military action that began August 8.

Mr. Medvedev says the agreement is based on a guarantee the Georgia will not use force.

Mr. Sarkozy says he presented his Russian counterpart with a letter signed by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili stating he will comply with the demand. President Medvedev said Russian troops will be replaced with international observers. Following his visit to Russia, the French leader went to Tbilisi for talks with Georgian leaders.

The Kremlin leader says the withdrawal³ will take place within 10 days of the deployment⁴ of no less than 200 EU observers by October 1, 2008.

Mr. Medvedev said Russia has also agreed to pull out its forces within seven days along a line from Georgia's Black Sea port of Poti to the town of Senaki under the condition that Georgia will not use force against Abkhazia.

The Russian and French leaders also announced international discussions on the Georgian Conflict would be held in Geneva beginning October 15.

But both men expressed continued disagreement on Russia's recognition of Abkhaz and South Ossetian independence. Mr. Sarkozy said it is not up to Russia to unilaterally recognize the two breakaway regions, because there are established international procedures for recognition of new nations. Mr. Medvedev said the decision is irrevocable.
　
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, left, listens to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, at the presidential residence, 08 Sep 2008

The Russian leader also accused other countries, including the United States of trying to renew Georgia's military potential, though he offered no evidence to back the claim.

President Sarkozy was accompanied by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. The EU diplomatic team now presents the cease-fire plan to Georgian President Saakashvili in Tbilisi.

Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry⁵ says the Russian navy is planning joint⁶ naval⁷ exercises in the Atlantic with Venezuela this year.

Ministry Spokesman Andrei Nesterenko made the announcement at a Moscow news conference, saying the two countries will conduct joint maneuvers⁸, search and rescue operations and communications training. He says Russian anti-submarine aircraft will also be temporarily based at a Venezuelan airport. Russian ships participating in the exercises are expected to include a heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser "The Peter the Great" and a large anti-submarine ship, The Admiral Chabanenko."

Nesterenko added that the fundamental agreement for the move was reached with top Venezuelan leaders long ago.

Nesterenko says the naval activities are not linked to the current situation in the Caucasus, nor aimed in any way at harming the interest of a third party.

Russian officials, however, have objected to the presence of NATO ships in the Black Sea and also to U.S. Navy ships docking in Georgian ports. Moscow says the American warships⁹ could be used to deliver weapons under the cover of humanitarian¹⁰ assistance.

U.S. officials reject such charges, saying since Russia's invasion the United States has provided nearly $38 million in humanitarian assistance to Georgia, including more than 1,200 tons of food and other relief supplies.

 

1 buffer   

n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲

参考例句：

• A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时，很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
• Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。

2 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

3 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

4 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

7 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

8 maneuvers   

n.策略，谋略，花招( maneuver的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He suspected at once that she had been spying upon his maneuvers. 他立刻猜想到，她已经侦察到他的行动。 来自辞典例句
• Maneuvers in Guizhou occupied the Reds for four months. 贵州境内的作战占了红军四个月的时间。 来自辞典例句

9 warships   

军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只

参考例句：

• The enemy warships were disengaged from the battle after suffering heavy casualties. 在遭受惨重伤亡后，敌舰退出了海战。
• The government fitted out warships and sailors for them. 政府给他们配备了战舰和水手。

10 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。