Georgia missile incident 'theatrical show'-Ivanov

MOSCOW, Aug 11 (Reuters) Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov hinted today that Georgia was to blame for a missile incident that he said was aimed at derailing a peaceful settlement in breakaway South Ossetia.

The one-tonne missile landed in a farmer's field in Georgia this week but did not detonate, and it re-ignited tensions between Russia and its pro-Western neighbour.

''I think this is just another theatrical show, performed but not entirely professionally directed,'' said Ivanov, the highest-ranking Russian politician to issue comments on the row.

On Thursday the chief of staff of the Russian military suggested Tbilisi had staged the missile incident as a ''provocation'' to Russia.

Georgia accused Russia of dropping a missile on its territory and requested a special meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss what it called ''an act of aggression'' by Russian aircraft.

Yesterday, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said he was ready to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to resolve tensions. Putin has not yet responded to the proposal.

Ex-spy Ivanov said the fact a police video was taken at very close range of the unexploded missile in the presence of reporters, which should not have been allowed for safety reasons, was proof the incident was not for real.

''However the authors of this theatrical show have reached their goal, they derailed the session of the Joint Control Commission,'' said Ivanov, a former defence minister, who is regarded as a likely candidate to succeed Putin in 2008.

The commission, set up in the 90s, includes representatives from Russia, Georgia, breakaway South Ossetia and a Russian region of North Ossetia. Georgia insists the format of the Joint Control Commission has become obsolete.

Georgia's two breakaway regions, South Ossetia and Abkhasia, became de-facto independent in the 90s after fighting wars with the Tbilisi government. Both regions enjoy moral support from Moscow.

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