German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for an "immediate stop" to all violence in South Ossetia.
"Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for prudence and moderation from all sides of the conflict in South Ossetia and for an immediate stop to all use of violence," her government Fighting in South Ossetia kills at least 3 ...
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"The government is in close agreement with its partners in the European Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and NATO in this respect."
Germany heads a loose alliance known as the UN Group of Friends of the Secretary General which has been trying to cool tensions between Moscow and Tbilisi over Abkhazia, another breakaway Georgian republic. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Georgia, Abkhazia and Russia in July to present a peace plan.
The EU Commission's spokesman, John Clancy, meanwhile also said that EU officials were "extremely concerned" at the reports of heavy fighting in the South Ossetian conflict zone.
The EU "deplores the loss of life," Clancy said. "The European Commission calls for an immediate end to hostilities and for a swift resumption to negotiations in the framework of existing formats."
The 27-nation bloc "stands ready to increase its contribution to conflict resolution in Georgia with confidence-building measures," he added.
EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner was "in close contact" on the matter with both the French presidency of the EU and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) chief, the EU commission spokesman added.
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Solana (right) met Georgian Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili in May Earlier a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana also called for an end to the hostilities.
"We are very concerned by the dramatic escalation of the situation," Cristina Gallach said. "We are following it very closely and we are in contact with all the parties. We renew the appeal given Thursday by the head EU diplomat Javier Solana and call on all parties to end the violence immediately."
Georgian forces had surrounded and shelled the capital of the Russian-backed breakaway South Ossetia province on Friday, drawing warnings of retaliation from Russia which supports the separatist administration.
Quiet before the storm?
Georgian officials meanwhile said Friday, Aug. 8, that they would cease attacks for three hours to let civilians leave.
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Saakashvili has called for a full mobilization Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has accused Russia of arming the rebels and bombarding its territory. Russia said Georgia had launched a "dirty adventure" and warned of unspecified retaliation, the foreign ministry said in a statement posted on its Web site.
In a national televised address Friday, Saakashvili called for a full mobilization: "Hundreds of thousands of Georgians should stand together to save Georgia."
Long military convoys were shown on television Friday on the road from western Georgia toward the separatist region.
Georgian troops now control a "large part of South Ossetia" and are seeing the rebel regions' capital Tskhinvali, Saakashvili said. "Tskhinvali is now liberated and fighting is ongoing now in the center."
At least 15 people, primarily civilians, were killed in heavy shelling and airstrikes of the capital Tskhinvali, news agency Interfax cited South Ossetian officials as saying.
OSCE sends envoy
NATO head Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on Friday said he was "seriously concerned" over the escalation and called "on all sides for an immediate end of the armed clashes."
At an emergency session of the United Nations late Thursday, Russia failed to push through an agreement for an immediate halt to fighting from both sides.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meanwhile will send a special envoy immediately to Georgia in a bid to kick start negotiations, Finland, the current OSCE chairman, announced Friday.
(Deutsche Welle)
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