GEORGIAN PRESIDENT MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI CANCELLED A VISIT TO MOSCOW ON FRIDAY, SAYING RUSSIAN LEADER VLADIMIR PUTIN REFUSED TO MEET HIM TO DISCUSS TENSIONS AROUND A REBEL GEORGIAN REGION, REUTERS REPORTED. GEORGIAN FORCES ARE IN AN ARMED STANDOFF WITH SEPARATISTS IN THE SOUTH OSSETIA REGION WHO, SAAKASHVILI SAYS, ARE BACKED BY RUSSIA. A SERIES OF BOMB ATTACKS HAS LED TO FEARS THE CONFRONTATION COULD ESCALATE INTO WAR. SAAKASHVILI HOPED TO DISCUSS SOUTH OSSETIA WITH PUTIN AT AN INFORMAL SUMMIT OF EX-SOVIET HEADS OF STATE. BUT REPORTERS GATHERED AT TBILISI'S AIRPORT TO CATCH A FLIGHT TO MOSCOW WITH SAAKASHVILI WERE TOLD AT THE LAST MINUTE THE TRIP WAS CANCELLED. "THE RUSSIAN SIDE REFUSED TO HOLD A ONE-ON-ONE MEETING OF THE PRESIDENTS OF GEORGIA AND RUSSIA," GEORGE ARVELADZE, THE HEAD OF SAAKASHVILI'S ADMINISTRATION, TOLD REUTERS. THE EUROPEAN UNION SAID ON THURSDAY IT WAS DEEPLY CONCERNED OVER THE STAND-OFF AROUND SOUTH OSSETIA, AND URGED MOSCOW AND TBILISI TO HOLD TALKS. TENSIONS REMAINED HIGH IN THE REGION ON FRIDAY, WITH THE REBELS PARADING A MAN THEY CALLED A GEORGIAN-PAID TERRORIST FOR RUSSIAN STATE TELEVISION. ALSO ON FRIDAY, SAAKASHVILI SACKED THE MINISTER WHO HAD LED PEACE TALKS WITH SEPARATISTS IN SOUTH OSSETIA AND ABKHAZIA, ANOTHER GEORGIAN BREAKAWAY REGION. GEORGY KHAINDRAVA HAD BEEN A DISSENTING VOICE INSIDE SAAKASHVILI'S ADMINISTRATION ON A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES. MERAB ANTADZE, WHO WILL REPLACE KHAINDRAVA AS STATE MINISTER FOR CONFLICT SITUATIONS, WAS IN MOSCOW ON FRIDAY TRYING TO ORGANISE SAAKASHVILI'S MEETING. HE TOLD RUSSIA'S INTERFAX NEWS AGENCY GEORGIA STILL HOPED A MEETING WITH PUTIN WOULD GO AHEAD SOON.
