Russia Says Will Study Georgia Violence Allegations

Russia says it will take a look at allegations from Georgia that Russia is responsible for sponsoring terrorist acts in Georgia and in the country’s breakaway regions.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying Russia would study the allegations carefully.

Karasin said Georgian National Security Council Secretary Giga Bokeria had given him papers in Geneva, where Russian and Georgian delegations on June 7 held their 16th round of internationally mediated talks on security issues since the two countries fought a brief war in August, 2008.

Bokeria told reporters that the talks process in Geneva could collapse unless Russia halts what he called a “bombing campaign” targeting Georgia.

United Nations and European Union mediators said the closed-door talks were dominated by concerns about a series of violent incidents in recent months in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and the possibility of a dangerous escalation in tensions.

Russia recognized the two Georgian breakaway regions as independent after the 2008 war.

compiled from agency reports

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