OSCE Chair Concerned over ‘Growing Tensions’ in S.Ossetia

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, said on July 4 that recent incidents in the South Ossetian conflict zone, involving “heavy exchanges of fire” were “worrying signs of growing tensions.”

“I call on all parties to use all necessary tools at their disposal to restore dialogue, a pre-condition for building confidence. The OSCE continues to follow the situation carefully and stands ready to assist the parties to defuse tension,” he said.

Two men were killed in Tskhinvali and a secessionist-controlled village in the conflict zone and at least eight were injured as a result of an overnight shootout and shelling between South Ossetian and Georgian forces on July 3-4.

The Finnish foreign minister expressed “profound concern” over the incidents and urged the sides to refrain from any action that would further destabilize the situation.