Saakashvili, Putin Discuss Breakaway South Ossetia

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said that he held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on May 31 to discuss the situation in the breakaway region of South Ossetia.

He said that other issues of bilateral cooperation were also discussed, however he gave no details.

Tensions grew in Georgia?s breakaway South Ossetia after the Georgian side sent extra troops to protect a police checkpoint, less than 10 km away from capital of self-styled South Ossetian Republic, Tskhinvali. Tbilisi claims the checkpoint was set up to fight smuggling. 

President Saakashvili said that the decision was taken after the commander of the Russian peacekeeping troops in the conflict zone demanded to dismantle the checkpoint and threatened the use of force.

?We have established very warm relations with Russia recently. The commander of the peacekeeping forces, Sviatoslav Nabdzorov, is the only one to blame for the recent problems in Ossetia,? President Saakashvili said at a news briefing on May 31.

He said that Georgia has pulled out part of its troops from the conflict zone ?after receiving guarantees that no force would be used against the Georgian police checkpoints.”