EVIAN, France, Oct 8, 2008 (AFP) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has 'kept his word' in promising to pull out troops from buffer zones in Georgia by midnight Wednesday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said.

Sarkozy paid tribute to 'the withdrawal confirmed by President Medvedev, who in doing so has kept his word,' in a speech to a conference in eastern France, where he was to hold talks with Medvedev.