Russia Strongly Backs Current Peace Format for South Ossetia

Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Valery Loshchinin met with U.S. Ambassador in Moscow William Burns on September 19 and discussed developments in the South Ossetian conflict zone, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

An information note issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry after this meeting says that the situation regarding the tensions in the conflict zone should be defused ?through activation of work in frames of the current mechanism ? the Joint Control Commission (JCC) and Joint Peacekeeping Forces (JPKF). Any attempt to weaken the current negotiating format is counterproductive.?

The Russian side ?supports an intensification of the work of the JCC in frames of which it is possible to consider holding talks between [Georgian Prime Minister Zurab] Nogaideli and [South Ossetian leader Eduard] Kokoity,? the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

According to this information note, the U.S. diplomat expressed concern regarding the recent tensions in the region and spoke of the United States’ readiness to contribute to defusing these tensions.

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