The recent escalation of tensions in Georgia's frozen conflicts with its separatist provinces has enabled Tbilisi and its western allies to push harder for change in the peacekeeping and conflict resolution formats currently dominated by Moscow.

However, in spite of calls from Tbilisi and Washington for diversification of the formats, the latter could be blocked by the separatist regimes of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which are recognized parties to the peace talks and whose consent is required for any significant change.

The past several weeks have seen violence flare up along lines separating Georgian forces from South Ossetia and Abkhazia and forces in spite of the presence of Russian peacekeepers, who operate under the auspices of the Commonwealth of Independent States with consent of all conflicting sides.

by Simon Saradzhyan in Moscow for ISN Security Watch

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