UN calls new round of talks on South Ossetia
The United Nations Security Council called another emergency session for later today in a desperate bid to resolve the South Ossetia crisis.
Georgia requested the latest session, which was due to begin at 5pm (10pm Irish Time) in New York.
Georgia is not a council member but Belgium’s ambassador Jan Grauls approved the session as this month’s council president.
It will be the fifth such emergency round of talks the council has held on the conflict since Thursday night.
The council is trying to agree on a joint statement seeking a resolution, but has shot down various texts proposed by Russia and other members of the 15-nation council, even as the conflict has spilled into other parts of Georgia and is nearing all-out war.
Council diplomats said the United States and Europeans have been meeting since the weekend to propose the council demands a cease-fire, respect for Georgia’s sovereignty and immediate withdrawal of troops from South Ossetia.
