Romania Defense Council Meeting Set For Tues – Sources

The latest meeting of the country’s defense council was held on Saturday evening, in light of the recent conflict in Georgia’s breakaway region South Ossetia.  

Following the meeting, the Romanian presidency issued a release restating the country’s support for Georgian sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Romanian authorities decided to take measures in view of a potential evacuation of the Romanian nationals in Georgia, should the situation request it.

The presidency said in the statement that Romania’s foreign policy has held the frozen conflicts in the Caucasus and around the Black Sea as a constant preoccupation.

"Romania calls on all parties involved to show responsibility and cease hostilities immediately, for the creation of negotiation conditions, which would guarantee peace and stability in the region," the statement noted.

The conflict between Russia and its small, former Soviet neighbor started last Thursday when Georgia suddenly sent forces to retake South Ossetia, a pro-Russian province that threw off Georgian rule in the 1990s.