Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith on Thursday called on Russia to uphold the terms of a ceasefire in its conflict with Georgia.
"Australia is concerned that despite the announcement of a ceasefire agreement which commits both sides to a cessation of all hostilities and the withdrawal of troops to positions held before the conflict broke out, there have been reports of ongoing military action by Russian forces," he said in a statement.
"Australia calls on Russia to honor the terms of the ceasefire, respect the territorial integrity of Georgia and resolve its differences with Georgia through peaceful means. The military action taken by Russia has been disproportionate and has resulted in widespread damage and heavy casualties," Smith said.
He also announced 1 million Australian dollars (880,000 U.S. dollars) aid to help victims of the war in Georgia.
Russian troops and tanks poured into Georgia on Friday after the Georgian army launched an offensive to regain control of South Ossetia, the Moscow-backed region which broke away from Tbilisi in the early 1990s. The United Nations and Red Cross estimates say 100,000 people have been forced from their homes and up to 2,000 are believed to have been killed and 3,500 injured.
Smith said Australia has committed 500,000 dollars to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide urgently needed relief to the displaced including shelter, blankets and water, and a further 500,000 dollars has been allocated to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for the immediate provision of medical supplies to hospitals and the deployment of field hospitals for critical surgery in Gori and South Ossetia.
Australia has also agreed to send two technical experts to help the United Nations Children's Fund restore water and sanitation to affected areas.
Source:Xinhua
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