MOSCOW. July 30 (Interfax-AVN) - A Russian senator has said that his country should seek an explanation from Georgian for last night's shelling of the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali.
"Today, when tensions in South Ossetia are undoubtedly escalating, Russia should act in a rapid and tough manner to prevent a repeat of similar incidents," Viktor Ozerov, head of the Federal Council's security and defense committee, told Interfax on Friday.
Ozerov underscored the need to involve the Russian Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry in developing a set of specific measures aimed at avoiding a further escalation of tensions in South Ossetia.
"I mean a search for political solutions. I do not rule out a Russian appeal to the UN and leaders of the CIS countries, since the Russian peacekeepers were deployed in this zone in compliance with a mandate issued on behalf of precisely the CIS leaders," he said.
Agreements were reached in the framework of the Joint Control Commission on the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict, the senator said, adding that "by its actions Georgia has effectively violated these agreements, which has not helped to stabilize the situation. Rather, it has put peace in South Ossetia at risk."