Talks to ease S Ossetia tension

Russia sees the Georgian troop presence as a threat to peace

Georgian officials have travelled to breakaway South Ossetia to hold talks with the separatist region's leaders in a bid to ease rising tensions.

The decision by the Georgian president to deploy anti-smuggling troops in the area prompted condemnation from Russia.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it could have triggered serious and unpredictable consequences.

Georgia hit back saying the region was still part of Georgia and it should left to deal with its internal affairs.

South Ossetia, which broke away from Georgia in the 1990s, wants to unite with neighbouring Russia and recently elected a pro-Russian parliament.

But Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has vowed to bring it and the separatist region of Abkhazia back under Tbilisi's control.

Smuggling

He increased the pressure on South Ossetia on Monday by sending troops to the border to take part in anti-smuggling operations.

Our Russian colleagues should understand that the matter concerns the territory of Georgia rather than some autonomous republic of the Russian Federation Zurab Zhvaniya, Georgian Prime Minister

The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the move, saying: "Tbilisi must acknowledge the seriousness of the unfolding situation, which can trigger violence and bloodshed, the full responsibility for which will lie on the Georgian side."

Moscow was also concerned that Georgia was using US-trained troops in the operation "that were supposed to be deployed in the fight against international terrorism" instead of attacking its separatist regions.

Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvaniya said Moscow's criticism went too far.

"Our Russian colleagues should understand that the matter concerns the territory of Georgia rather than some autonomous republic of the Russian Federation," he said.

"We can set up checkpoints where we deem appropriate, in order to shut down the functioning of these black holes (of smuggling) which have been destroying the economy."

The BBC's Natalia Antelava, in Tbilisi says Mr Saakashvili has been using both the carrot and the stick to bring South Ossetia back into line.

She says he is putting on a show of force at the border and has taken firm action against smuggling - a devastating move for the region's contraband-based economy.

But the president has also promised to set up a free ambulance service for local people, give out pensions and humanitarian aid and restore rail links with the rest of the country.

President's wife

Mr Saakashvili says he has no plans to use force.

But the leader of South Ossetia, Eduard Kokoiti, accuses Georgia of massing troops on the border and preparing to use them.

Sandra Roelofs wanted to visit ethnic Georgian children

Georgian, Russian and South Ossetian officials were meeting in South Ossetia's capital Tskhinvali on Wednesday to try and defuse the row.

Georgia's security council chief Vano Merabishvili told Georgian television the delegates planned to discuss opening a rail link between Tbilisi and Tskhinvali, pensions and freedom of movement.

Georgian journalists were not allowed into South Ossetia to cover the closed-door meeting, according to AFP.

A visit by the wife of the Georgian president added to the row, as she visited ethnic Georgian children in South Ossetia on International Children's Day, despite attempts by authorities to stop her.

Dutch-born Sandra Roelofs was prevented from entering the republic by road, but later reached it by helicopter.

Mr Kokoiti said her visit was "provocative".