President Saakashvili called on South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity to reopen the roads in the South Ossetian conflict zone, which were closed on May 11.
 
“The South Ossetian authorities should stop exerting pressure on the local population of Tskhinvali – the roads should be reopened so that the local population has an opportunity to bring in foodstuffs and live in normal conditions,” Saakashvili said while visiting the South Ossetian conflict zone on May 15.

Saakashvili visited the Georgian police checkpoint in the South Ossetian conflict zone, where a Georgian policeman was injured in a shootout which occurred late on May 12.

“We will do our best to settle the existing problems so that the population faces no problems in terms of either security or everyday life,” he added.

The South Ossetian authorities said that the roads would be reopened only after Tbilisi had disbanded its “puppet government” led by Dimitri Sanakoev.