By KUNA,
Paris : As tensions remain high in the Caucasus region despite a commitment to a cease-fire by Russia and Georgia, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is continuing Thursday his diplomatic pressure to lend support to the peace-process and muster international support for his initiatives in this area.
Later Thursday, the French leader, who also heads the rotating European Union presidency, is meeting in southern France with US Secretary-of-State Condoleezza Rice, who is stopping off here on her way for talks in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.
Rice is meeting Sarkozy at a time that the US is increasing its rhetoric criticizing Russias intervention in the break-way Georgian region of South Ossetia, a province that Russia and Georgia jointly patrolled before the conflict but whose autonomy Russia now clearly and openly supports.
Diplomats also said that Sarkozy, who is at his vacation residence near Toulon, was fully intent on keeping the channels of communication open with both US and Russian leaders.
On Wednesday afternoon, he held a conversation with President George W. Bush and later in the evening he spoke with Russian President Dimitri Medvedev.
It was in talks with Bush that the meeting Thursday between Rice and Sarkozy was agreed.
The role of the French leader has been especially important as he personally, in his role as EU President, presented a peace plan to both sides last Tuesday and obtained an agreement on a cease-fire, although this remains fragile, according to news reports.
In his talks with Medvedev Wednesday night, Sarkozy expressed concern about the fragility of the situation on the ground and reports that Russian forces were still not withdrawing from Georgia as agreed.
“Relaying the worries concerning the effective cessation of hostilities, the President of the Republic received from President Medvedev assurances that Russia would respect the commitments it made,” a statement from the Elysee Palace said early Thursday.