Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, the OSCE chairman-in-office, deplored that a meeting of the Georgian and South Ossetian negotiators planned for August 7 had not taken place.

“The situation in the conflict zone is extremely tense and requires immediate de-escalation. I have been in contact with Tbilisi and Tskhinvali today and urged them to stop all military action and re-establish direct contacts,” the OSCE chairman-in-office said in a statement on August 7.

“I expressed concern that their representatives failed to meet today and reiterated an invitation to the parties to meet in Helsinki as soon as possible. I also plan to visit Georgia in the near future.”