Archive - 2/2009

Today, OSCE vehicle carrying military observers had again crossed the state border of South Ossetia from Georgia, reports the RSO MoD.
"The OSCE vehicle had crossed the border of South Ossetia near the village of Artsev. This fact had been recorded by the check-point of the RSO MoD. After SO defense ministry staff had tried to stop the OSCE vehicle, it turned round and left the territory of South Ossetia", reported the RSO MoD.

For the first time after the August aggression, representatives of NGOs met at NGO Resource Center. The meeting was devoted to the role of NGOs in informing international community about the events in South Ossetia. "We should continue our work as we used to work after the August tragedy. We achieved a huge breakthrough in the informational blockade. It is not a secret that exchange of information is extremely important nowadays," mentioned Lira Tskhovrebova, Director of Association of Women of SO for Democracy and Human Rights.

On 10 February, a working meeting between the Chairman of GAZPROM Alexei Miller and RSO President Eduard Kokoity was held at the central office of GAZPROM. The sides had discussed the process of rehabilitation of the gas infrastructure of South Ossetia destroyed during the hostilities. A special attention has been paid to the new gas pipeline from North Ossetia to South Ossetia and management of natural gas supply to South Ossetia.

"The purpose of today"s visit was to make necessary arrangements for the upcoming Geneva consultations to be held on 17-18 February", said the EU envoy Pierre Morel. "At today"s meeting we touched upon a wide range of problems related to security and stability, incident preventing and confidence-building, as well as humanitarian issues, such as the problem of the missing, water, electricity and gas supply", said Ambassador Morel.

"The statement by the acting Foreign Minister of Georgia Grigol Vashadze that Georgia would not sign an agreement on non-use of force with Abkhazia and South Ossetia is the sign of continuing last years" policy of Georgia", said Murat Djioev, the RCO Foreign Minister. According to him, "even before the August event we have raised the issue at the level of international organization on the necessity to influence Georgia to sign an Memorandum on non-use of force.

A meeting of the RSO President"s for Post-conflict settlement Boris Chochiev and RSO Foreign Minister Murat Djioev with the delegation of OSCE, EU and UN was held in Tskhinval. The delegation includes OSCE Chairman-in-Office Special Representative Christopoulos, UN SG Special Representative in Georgia Verbeke, the EU Special Representative Morel and other representatives of the organizations.

The Georgian side had fired at the living area of Tskhinval. «At 5:10 a.m. two shots of RPG-7 (manufactured in 1978) were made from the village of Nikozi. The launched grenades self-exploded in the location of kindergarten in Djioev Ave. No casualties were reported," says the SO MoD Press-Service.

The Georgian side is rapidly getting prepared for a new military aggression, reports the press-service of the RSO. "On the night of 9 February, fortification works had been carried out in the village of Ditsi located in four km south-east of Tskhinval. Apart from positions" fortification, new units of armored equipment had been brought to the village.

A member to Russian delegation in Geneva talks, Deputy Administration Chairman of North Ossetia"s Government Murat Tkhostov commented on Georgia"s declaring force majeure in relation to international inspection of its armed. "This factor is worth paying attentions by both our community and international agencies. Georgia refused to Russia"s possible participation in inspections of sites belonging to Georgia"s armed forces, however such inspections is envisaged in 1999 Vienna document/ This refusal should be viewed in thecontext of foreign policy of Georgia with its key element of preparation of diplomatic and other conditions for forceful return of South Ossetia", said Tkhostov.

"The resolution of PACE does not play any role", says the RSO Parliament Vice-Speaker Yuri Dzitsoity commenting on the PACE Resolution, in which the PA demanded from Moscow to reverse it recognition of South Ossetia nad Abkhazia and acknowledged the Russian military bases in the republics as illegal and the Russian military presence in Leningori district, Perevi and Upper Abkhazia as "occupation"."
According to Dzitsoiti, "this resolution is most like of a non-binding nature".