MOSCOW, September 24 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's foreign minister has met with his Georgian counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss possible solutions to conflicts with the South Caucasus country's breakaway provinces, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Sunday.
Sergei Lavrov and Gela Bezhuashvili "discussed topical issues of bilateral relations and prospects for the resolution of conflicts inside Georgia," the ministry said in a news release.
Georgia's conflicts with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, both of which proclaimed their independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union, have stirred much controversy between it and Russia. The Georgian leadership has repeatedly accused Russian peacekeepers deployed in the regions of siding with local separatists, and Georgia's parliament has passed resolutions demanding their immediate withdrawal.
The talks between Lavrov and Bezhuashvili comes two days after Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili accused Russia of conducting a "gangster occupation" of his country's rebellious provinces, which he is determined to bring back into the fold.
Addressing world leaders at the UN General Assembly Friday, Saakashvili said Moscow had been consistently trying to take full control of the territories by distributing Russian passports among the local population and fostering their anti-Georgian sentiment.
Russia's Vladimir Putin reacted Saturday by calling Saakashvili "hot-tempered" and stressed the need for a compromise.
Lavrov said the Georgian leader had distorted the reality and described his allegations as counterproductive. "It is clear to everyone that the problem can only be solved in an atmosphere of mutual respect and by relying on facts. I could hear neither in yesterday's statement [by Saakashvili]," he said.
