German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday, Aug.
8, called for an "immediate stop" to all violence in South Ossetia.
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged restraint from all sides of the conflict "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 Russia warning over South Ossetia ...
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"The government is in close agreement with its partners in the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation 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.
Foreign ministry officials said on Friday that Steinmeier had spoken by phone with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
EU extremely concerned
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: The European Union is concerned by recent developments in Gerogia Meanwhile, the EU Commission's spokesman, John Clancy, 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.
"Dramatic escalation"
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.
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."
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 on 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) will send a special envoy to Georgia immediately in a bid to kick start negotiations, Finland, the current OSCE chairman, announced on Friday.
(Deutsche Welle)
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