U.S. Calls for Talks over S.Ossetia
De-escalation and resumption of talks should be priorities in South Ossetia, the U.S. Department of State’s acting deputy spokesman, Gonzalo R. Gallegos, said on August 5.
“We don’t believe that now is the time for any parties to this to react in a provocative way. So it is important for us that – number one, that the violence stops, and number two, that a dialogue begins, and so that they can continue to discuss the issues there,” he said at a news conference.
His remarks were made in response to a question asking him comment on chief Russian negotiator on South Ossetia Yuri Popov’s statement. Popov was quoted by Russian media as saying: “If events develop in the worst possible way, with the use of force, Russia will not be able to stand by, seeing as Russian citizens live in South Ossetia.”
When asked if he thought Russia was provoking tensions in the region, the Department of State spokesman said: “No, we believe that the violence should stop and all parties should begin a discussion so that they can move forward towards settling the situation.”
