Georgia, South Ossetia peace talks set

TBILISI, Georgia, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- A top Georgian government official said Wednesday his country would hold direct talks with leaders of the breakaway republic of South Ossetia.

Georgian Reintegration Minister Temur Iakobashvili confirmed talks will be held in the wake of escalating violence between the two sides, RIA Novosti reported.

Iakobashvili said the meeting will be held Aug. 7 in the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali, adding the talks would not be held within the context of Russian peacekeeping efforts in the region, known as the Joint Control Commission.

"This will be a bilateral meeting, as we have insisted, that will involve Russians only because it will be held at the peacekeepers' headquarters in Tskhinvali," the Georgian minister told RIA Novosti.

The conflict escalated dramatically over the weekend when Georgian forces shelled Tskhinvali, leaving six South Ossetians killed and another 15 wounded, the news agency said.