Saakashvili, Powell Discuss South Ossetia

The recent developments in Georgia?s breakaway South Ossetia were discussed during talks between Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on August 5.

 

?Our policy is clear. We want to demilitarize. We want to democratize the whole region and keep dialogue going, including dialogue with the Russians. Some very crazy and outrageous things were said by some of the Russian politicians, like the fact that Georgia is infringing on their sovereignty,? President Saakashvili said after the talks with the U.S. Secretary of State.

 

He reiterated that the last thing Georgia wants is some kind of confrontation. ?Certainly we’re going to overcome that kind of thing and I think the help of the U.S. Administration has been very helpful?.

 

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell also mentioned the readiness of the United States to help reduce the tensions. ?I think we know how to deal with it diplomatically,? he said. 

 

?What we’re anxious to do is calm this situation down, remove tensions and the propensity for provocation and get back to dialogue,? the U.S. Secretary of State added.