GEORGIA CRISIS TOPS AGENDA OF MEDVEDEV-SARKISIAN TALKS

AzerNews Weekly
Sept 3 2008
Azerbaijan

Russian and Armenian Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Serzh Sarkisian
on Tuesday discussed the situation over Georgia’s rebel regions of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the Russian town of Sochi.

Medvedev said considering that Armenia is taking up chairmanship in
the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a bloc of former
Soviet republics, a need has arisen to exchange views on international
issues with Yerevan.

"There is a need for this, as we have not seen each other since
Georgia’s aggression," Medvedev said.

Georgia launched large-scale military operations on August 8 in its
unrecognized republic of South Ossetia to restore its territorial
integrity. Russia retaliated by sending troops to the region which
struck at the Georgian armed forces with overwhelming force. A
ceasefire was, subsequently, reached on August 17.

Sarkisian, for his part, said Armenia was ready to provide humanitarian
aid to South Ossetia.

"This is our first meeting since the South Ossetia developments, which
follows our phone conversation about the situation in Georgia. Once
again, I am expressing disappointment with what went on there,
the deaths of Russian citizens and peacekeepers," Sarkisian said,
in an apparent bid to appease the Russian leader.

Medvedev did not rule out that the CSTO members’ resolute stance on
the developments in Georgia would be stated at the upcoming summit
in Moscow.

President Medvedev signed a decree on August 26 recognizing the
independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The move heightened
tensions in the volatile Caucasus region and put a further strain on
Moscow’s relations with the West.