Peace talks in Pankissi

The Georgian President, Eduard Shevardnadze, says peace talks have got underway between rival Georgian and Chechen groups in the volatile Pankissi Gorge region close to the border with Chechnya.

He said the Georgian Interior Minister, Kakha Targamadze, had flown to the area, where seven Chechen youths were taken captive on Friday by local Georgians.

The Georgian government has sent troops to the Pankissi Gorge, where kidnaps and gunbattles are common between rival groups.

President Shevardnadze told reporters the situation was complex but not catastrophic, and he was confident it would be resolved.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service