Archive - 2/2010

It has been almost two years that the residents of Leningor district of South Ossetia are not getting Russian gas transited through Georgia. This issues has been discussed at the last round of Geneva talks on security in the Caucasus. As Boris Chochiev, the Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement, reported to RES Agency, there were no real steps taken by anyone, including international organizations, to settle this humanitarian problem.

Today, the South Ossetian President's Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement Boris Chochiev met with the ICRC Mission representative Gilles Hansoul. As Boris Cchochiev reported to Res Agency, the discussion focused on the issues related to the meeting in Geneva on missing citizens of South Ossetia between representatives of South Ossetia and the ICRC. "The meeting in Geneva is held upon the initiative of the ICRC. Today we agreed on the date for this meeting in Geneva, since we expect the CoE Commissioner Tomas Hammarberg to arrive in South Ossetia on the same dates in February", said Chochiev.

The Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement Boris Chochiev and Head of Protection Department of the ICRC mission in South Ossetia Gilles Hansoul discussed the results of the meeting in the ICRC Headquarters in Geneva on 27 January 2010, which took place between the SO Human Rights Commissioner David Sanakoev, Deputy Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement Merab Chigoev and Deputy Head of Operations OP_East Djordje Drndanski.

Boris Chochiev, the Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement, reported to media on the results of the 9th round of Geneva talks held on 28 January. According to him, Geneva participants had discussed issues, which were already on the agenda: "This is the question on non-use of force against South Ossetia and Abkhazia in accordance with Sarkozy-Medvedev agreements. Another important topic was the fate of missing South Ossetian citizens. We also discussed the resumption of natural gas to Leningor district tackled in the second working group dealing with humanitarian issues, including that of refugee return. The resumption of Incident Prevention Mechanism (IPRM) meetings was also touched upon. We have refused to participate in the IPRM before the Georgian authorities provide us with information on our abducted citizens".

The Ministry of Interior of the Republic of South Ossetia filed a criminal case against Malkhaz Akhvlediani, a Georgian citizen detained for illegal border-crossing, reported the Press-Service of the RSO MoI. "Malkhaz Akhvlediani was detained 31 January in southern outskirts of Tskhinval", reads the report.
"He is incriminated in illegal crossing of the state border between South Ossetia and Georgia. Presently, law enforcement bodies are investigating the case", reported the Press-Service.

The president of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity had an inspection visit to construction sites in Tskhinval. Deputy Prime-Minister Alexander Zelig, representatives of "Stroytechcontrol" and State Committee for Rehabilitation Projects accompanied him during his visit.