MOSCOW. Aug 3 (Interfax-AVN) - Any armed provocations against South Ossetia which risk aggravating the situation in the Caucasus in general must be prevented, a high-ranking Russian diplomat said.
Russian Deputy Foreign Ministry Grigory Karasin and U.S. Under Secretary of State William Burns had a telephone conversation on Monday, August 2, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"The conversation focused on the alarming reports about shooting and escalating tensions near the Georgian-South Ossetian border on the eve of the anniversary of Georgia's August aggression against South Ossetia. The parties stressed the importance of preventing any armed provocations which might lead to the aggravation of the already explosive situation on the border between the two countries," the Russian foreign ministry said.
The parties have agreed to keep in contact on this issue.