Merkel met Medvedev
Berlin, Aug 11, IRNA. Talks between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, scheduled to take place at the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Friday, will dwell almost exclusively on the escalating Georgian crisis, a top chancellery official said Monday.
The present conflict in Georgia and South Ossetia is 'no reason to call off' the high-level meeting, deputy government spokesman Thomas Steg told the press in Berlin.
Germany has stepped up diplomatic efforts over the weekend for a political settlement of the widening Caucasus crisis.
The chancellor called once again for an 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' following her phone conversation with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili earlier in the day, Steg was quoted saying.
She also reiterated the need to return to the status quo ante and to preserve the territorial integrity of Georgia, the Merkel spokesperson added.
The German leader called also for 'objective mechanisms to verify the withdrawal' of Georgian military forces from the separatist region of South Ossetia, according to Steg.
Meanwhile, Merkel urged all conflict parties to allow humanitarian aid into the war-hit region.
Berlin has allocated one million euros in emergency help for South Ossetia and Georgia.
Germany is deeply concerned that this conflict could spill into other areas of the Caucasus. (Berlin: » www2.IRNA.com)
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