Foreign Minister Stubb says seriously concerned by Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone fighting

Press release 278/2008
7 August, 2008

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, expressed serious concern today about the deteriorating situation in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict and said he deplored the fact that a planned meeting of Georgian and South Ossetian representatives had not taken place. 

 "The situation in the conflict zone is extremely tense and requires immediate de-escalation. I have been in contact with Tbilisi and Tskhinvali today and urged them to stop all military action and re-establish direct contacts," the Minister said.

"I expressed concern that their representatives failed to meet today and reiterated an invitation to the parties to meet in Helsinki as soon as possible. I also plan to visit Georgia in the near future."

Additional information: Janne Taalas, Counsellor, Deputy Head of the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force, tel. +358 9 1605 6657, +358 40 728 4015

 

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