Obama, Medvedev discuss Georgia, arms control

MOSCOW — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday spoke with President Barack Obama about Georgia, just days before the anniversary of last year’s Russia-Georgia war, a Kremlin statement said.

The two leaders shared a telephone conversation at Moscow’s initiative, the statement said, adding they also discussed arms control, the Middle East and Iran.

“An exchange on opinions on the lessons of last year’s Georgian crisis took place,” the statement said, without elaborating.

Tension is mounting with the anniversary approaching. Georgia and Russia blame each other for recent provocations over the separatist-held, Moscow-friendly South Ossetia region of Georgia.

Russian troops have been put on increased combat readiness on South Ossetia’s de facto border with Georgia, officials said Tuesday.

On the night of Aug. 7-8, 2008, a brief war broke out over the region. Thousands of Russian troops poured into South Ossetia to beef up security after the Russian army routed the Georgian military in the five-day conflict.

Only Russia and Nicaragua recognize the independence of South Ossetia, and President Barack Obama said during a recent Moscow summit that Georgia’s territorial integrity must be respected.

In their discussion, Obama and Medvedev also agreed on the need to intensify efforts to strike a new nuclear arms control deal before the end of the year.

U.S. and Russian officials have been trying to reach agreement on a successor agreement to the 1991 arms control treaty known as START.

Among the biggest sticking points is the issue of U.S. plans for a missile defense system in Central Europe. Russia vociferously opposes those plans.

(This version CORRECTS RECASTS to lede with Georgia; corrects Central Europe sted eastern)