Switzerland says it welcomes the cessation of fighting in Georgia and has called on the conflicting parties to comply with humanitarian law.

The foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that it was "relieved" to learn that the two conflicting parties had been able to agree to a six-point plan and were willing to end hostilities.

It added that the conflict could only be solved by political means and welcomed the efforts of the French presidency of the European Union, whose peace plan "represented a possible route to the gradual settlement of the conflict".

Switzerland called on Georgia and Russia to grant international aid organisations rapid and unimpeded access to the victims in the conflict regions.

It also said it was "worried" about information that there had been numerous violations of humanitarian law during the recent fighting in Georgia and demanded that the conflicting parties comply with pledges set out in the Geneva Conventions and its additional protocols.

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