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Saakashvili Proposes a Ceasefire to Medvedev, He Says
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has proposed a ceasefire and negotiations to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Novosti-Gruzia reports. The Georgian president made that announcement as he visited the Tbilisi republican hospital, where 221 patients wounded in the hostilities are receiving treatment. It is reported that Saakashvili was accompanied there by the foreign minister of Lithuania. RIA Novosti reports that the Russian military has not received any peace proposals from Saakashvili, although he stated twice publicly on August 9 that he has made such proposals.
ITAR-TASS reports that Georgian tanks are preparing to advance on Tskhinvali and Russian peacekeeping positions. Latest unconfirmed information indicates that several tanks have already broken through then defense line into the city. Georgian military maps have been discovered that indicate that Georgia was expecting to take Tskhinvali and half of the territory of South Ossetia in 24 hours, Russian television claims. The South Ossetian military claims that it has disabled three of the tanks.
Saakashvili repeatedly proposed settling the conflict, until the Georgian military went into action. A delegation from the European Union is expected to arrive in Tbilisi Saturday evening. That delegation will include EU special representative to Georgia Peter Semneby, special representative to the South Caucasus Heikki Talvitie and a representative of France, which is currently chairing the EU.
The Georgian army began shelling Tskhinvali and South Ossetian villages on the night of August 7 in an operation “to restore the constitutional order” there. The Georgian military also fired on Russian peacekeeping positions, as a result of which 13 Russian peacekeepers were killed. Then the Georgian military stormed the capital of the unrecognized republic, but was repulsed on August 9 by Russian tanks sent to reinforce the peacekeepers. Fighting continues in some areas of the city. Various sources say that Russian aviation is bombing military targets in Georgia.
There have been thousands of casualties from the two days of fighting. Two thousand residents of Tskhinvali died in the Georgian bombardment of the city. The Russian peacekeepers suffered losses. Georgia claims 55 deaths on its side, including 15 civilians.
www.kommersant.com
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