Russia calls for emergency meeting on Georgia-South Ossetia conflict
www.chinaview.cn 2004-08-12 20:41:08
MOSCOW, Aug. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Russia, part of the Joint Control Commission for settling the conflict between Georgia and the separatist region of South Ossetia, urged the commission Thursday to hold an emergency meeting on the issue.
"We have proposed that the co-chairmen of the Joint Control Commission hold an emergency meeting in Tskhinvali," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Valery Loshchinin said in a statement.
The commission comprises representatives from Georgia, South Ossetia, Russia and the Russian province of North Ossetia.
"The situation is escalating with every hour and could go out of control any moment" with "catastrophic" consequences, Loshchinin noted.
"Russia is demanding that the conflicting parties immediately cease fire," he said. "It is necessary to switch from words to deeds."
He also urged the immediate implementation of an earlier agreement signed between Russia and Georgia on the pull-out of illegal armed units from the conflict zone.
Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador Lev Mironov said he would make an urgent trip to Tbilisi and was considering representing Russia at the emergency meeting.
Russia's call came amid two consecutive evenings of exchanges of fire between Georgians and South Ossetians.
Irina Gagloyeva, head of the South Ossetian Information and Press Committee, said Thursday that Tskhinvali, the capital of Ossetia, and surrounding Ossetian villages were heavily shelled byGeorgians the previous night.
Eight South Ossetians, three civilians and five servicemen werewounded in the shelling, South Ossetian Interior Minister Robert Guliyev was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.
Earlier reports from Ossetian officials said eleven people wereinjured in the fighting.
Interfax also quoted Georgian local media as saying that three people were killed in the shooting.
Georgian officials also accused Ossetians of firing at Georgianvillages located in the region and warned there would be a "tough"response.
South Ossetia won de facto independence in a separatist war that ended in 1992. It has repeatedly refused to bow to the Georgian government and has sought to become part of Russia.
A joint peacekeeping contingent composed of Russian, Georgian and South Ossetian troops has been patrolling the conflict area.
Tension has remained high between Tbilisi and South Ossetia since late May over the status of the breakaway region.
Georgian and South Ossetian authorities have repeatedly accusedeach other of provoking violence and of maintaining illegal armed forces in the region. They agreed last month that all such forces must be removed, but the exchanges of gunfire have persisted.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has vowed to reunify thecountry by bringing South Ossetia and another rebel region, Abkhazia, back under Tbilisi's control.
Georgia accuses Russia of backing the two renegade regions while Russia has called for the settlement of the crisis by peaceful means. Enditem
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