Georgia Calls for International Efforts to Avert Further Rise in Tensions
Senior Georgian officials held a series of meetings with foreign diplomats accredited in Tbilisi and called for international reaction to Russia’s “provocative actions” in order to prevent a further flare-up of tensions in the breakaway regions.
Giga Bokeria, the first deputy foreign minister, and Grigol Vashadze, the deputy foreign minister, met earlier on July 11 with diplomats from western member-states of the Group of Friends – the United States, Germany, UK and France.
Russia is part of the group; it, however, was not present. The Georgian Foreign Ministry said it had invited the Russian ambassador, but he had declined, citing “more important engagements.”
The July 8 violation of Georgian airspace by Russian military aircraft and the subsequent admission by Russia was discussed.
A separate meeting over the matter was also held with another group of foreign diplomats accredited in Tbilisi.
“The First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized that with the goal of avoiding further escalation of the situation, the international community should give an effective response to this extremely dangerous and provocative action, which the Russian side itself admitted to have committed,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.
Also on July 11, Giga Bokeria met with Heikki Talvitie, the special envoy of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office. Talvitie arrived in Tbilisi after visiting Moscow. The situation in the South Ossetian conflict zone was discussed during the meeting.
