Brief interview
Question: The European Parliament support the main conclusions in the report of the EU-sponsored International Independent Fact-Finding Mission into the circumstances of the conflict in South Ossetia headed by Heidi Tagliavini. According to this report, Georgia started the war in South Ossetia. Do you expect that the conclusions of Tagliavini’s Mission would have any impact on the policies of the West to support current Georgian regime?

Murat Djioev, RSO Foreign Minister:
Naturally, South Ossetia was interested in the results of the work done by the EU International Fact-Finding Mission headed by Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini, to examine the events of 2008 August. The Mission had done an enormous work, it maintained contact with all the side involved in the war in August 2008. The hope for the professionalism of the Mission members and the objectivity of their conclusions proved right. In the report voiced in December 2009, and in the recent speeches in the PACE and US Congress, Ambassador Tagliavini had clearly stated Georgia’s and Georgian authorities’ responsibility for unleashing the war in August 2008. I would like to express the hope that eventually the international community will learn the truth and the Western protectors of Sakashvili’s regime will cease their support and supplies of weapons.

Question: On 10 September, the President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez stated that his country recognizes the sovereignty of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Your comment.

Elbrus Kargiev, Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary of the RF in South Ossetia: The statement of Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela, on recognition of independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia – is an important political event.
I had repeatedly stated that the recognition of new South Caucasus states by international community is the process the first stages of which we are facing now.
The development of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as states with developing democracy is giving the grounds to the progressive world leaders to make a similar step forward. It is time to recognize that the peoples of South Ossetia and Abkhazia had suffered through their right to deterime their own fate. Russia and Nicaragua showed this understanding already in August and September last year.