GEORGIAN PREMIER, SOUTH OSSETIAN LEADER AGREE TO MEET

TBILISI, August 18 (RIA Novosti) - Eduard Kokoity, president of the self-proclaimed republic of South Ossetia on the territory of Georgia, has told reporters about an agreed-upon forthcoming meeting between him and Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania. "We do not want a meeting for the sake of a meeting. We want serious decisions, if any, to be implemented after such a meeting," the South Ossetian leader asserted at a press conference, following the recent session of the Joint Control Commission on the Georgian-Ossetian conflict in Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia. He believes that the situation can be improved only after the withdrawal of all armed units and re-establishment of confidence between Georgia and Ossetia.

Asked by newsmen about the existence of the so-called third side in the conflict zone, Kokoity said that this question had better be put to Georgian Foreign Minister Irakly Okruashvili.

"Our defense ministers are busy identifying the side engaged in provocative fire attacks at Ossetian and Georgian villages," said the South Ossetian leader.

Georgy Khaindrava, Georgian State Minister for Conflict Settlement, praised the work of the commission.

"Our defense ministries are conducting joint operations and we hope to get rid of these much-spoken-about "batmen." The Georgian side reports casualties every day despite all controversial statements," said Khaindrava.

Dealing with other results of the joint control commission's session, the Georgian state minister reported an agreement reached to set free three Georgian POWs Kobaladze, Durgvishvili and Surmava tonight. Of 39 Georgian policemen who were captured in the village of Vanati, South Ossetia, on July 8, 36 were released the day later.