Kokoity, Bagapsh Want Talks with Putin, Saakashvili

South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity met with Abkhaz leader Sergey Bagapsh in Sokhumi on November 2 to discuss bilateral cooperation and conflict resolution issues, Apsnipress news agency reported.

In a joint communiqu? signed by Kokoity and Bagapsh after the talks, the leaders of the breakaway regions called for quadripartite top-level talks with the participation of the South Ossetian and Abkhaz leaders and the presidents of Georgia and Russia.

?A proposal by the President of Georgia about holding a meeting with the President of South Ossetia was also discussed during the meeting [between Bagapsh and Kokoity]. Without rejecting the possibility of this kind of meeting in the future, the Presidents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia recall an already existing initiative by the Russian side over arranging a quadripartite meeting in Sochi [Russia]? But Mr. Saakashvili was then not ready for this meeting? Against the background of an extremely low level of confidence between the conflicting sides, a meeting of this kind may serve as an important guarantor for fulfilling previously achieved agreements,? the communiqu? signed by Kokoity and Bagapsh reads.

The secessionist leaders also called on Tbilisi to sign agreements with Abkhazia and South Ossetia on the non-use of force, without any preconditions.

During the meeting the South Ossetian and Abkhaz leaders condemned establishment of the headquarters of the Tbilisi-backed Abkhaz government-in-exile in upper Kodori Gorge and Tbilisi?s plans ?to hold alternative presidential elections? in South Ossetia, Apsnipress reported.

The secessionist leaders have also condemned ?increasing tensions in the region cause by militaristic actions of the Georgian leadership.?

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