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Georgian minister to hold talks in S.Ossetia to settle situation

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TBILISI, August 5 (RIA Novosti) - Georgia's state minister on reintegration will hold talks in the capital of the breakaway region of South Ossetia on Thursday to resolve the aggravated situation, he told journalists Tuesday.

Temur Yakobashvili said he would raise issues connected with the demilitarization of the conflict zone, the establishment of joint Georgian-Russian control over the border region, and the increase of OSCE observer numbers in the conflict zone.

The conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia intensified on Friday night into Saturday as South Ossetian authorities accused Georgian forces of shelling its capital, Tskhinvali, while Georgia blamed the separatists for provoking armed clashes along the de facto border.

South Ossetia says six people were killed and 15 injured in mortar and sniper attacks by Georgian forces on Tskhinvali. Georgia has denied using snipers, and says it only retaliated against South Ossetian rocket propelled grenade attacks.

"The Tskhinvali meeting will not be held as part of the Joint Control Commission on the Georgian-Ossetian settlement, as we believe this format has become outdated. We speak for a direct dialogue between the parties and for participation in the negotiating format of not only Russia but also European Union representatives," Yakobashvili said.

But South Ossetia's envoy to Russia, Dmitry Medoyev, said the resumption of the Joint Control Commission's operation would reduce tensions in the conflict zone.

The South Ossetian security council secretary said Tuesday the unrecognized republic plans to evacuate about 5,000 children to Russia.

"We plan to evacuate children from all dangerous places where hostilities are likely. This is about 5,000 people who are in the immediate proximity of Georgia, including in Tskhinvali," Anatoly Barankevich said.

About 1,000 people, including some 600 children, have already arrived in the Russian North Caucasus republic of North Ossetia.

South Ossetia declared its independence from Georgia following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Hundreds died in the bloody conflict that followed.

Russia has stepped up its support for South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway Georgian republic, in recent months, angering Georgia's pro-Western leadership, which has pledged to bring the regions back under central control.

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