Archive - 24/4/2009

The President of the Republic of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity met with inhabitants of villages occupied by Georgian authorities, people, who were expelled from the places of their permanent residence in 1989-1992.
Health Minister Nugzar Gabaraev, Post Conflict Settlement Minister Boris Chochiev and representatives of Tskhinval district administration participated in the meeting. Eudard Kokoity underlined that it was planned to bring back a normal peaceful life, restore local governance and law enforcement structures.
"Today, law and order are restored on the territory of the Republic and we have the possibility to return to our lands and start on peaceful life. We are not dividing people according to their ethnic origin. There are Georgians and Ossetians, as well as other ethnicities, among you, who had been living in these villages. You are all citizens of our Republic and the state is ready to create all necessary conditions for your return to your homes," said President.
In the course of the meeting, Eduard Kokoity responded to participants' questions.

The population of both South Ossetia and North Ossetia is very much concerned about the events happening now in Georgia, the protest rallies. However, the leadership of Georgia is trying to differently interpret the events, as if it were Russia’s starting up some actions against Georgia. Nothing of the kind is taking place, the situation is stable, said RSO President Eduar Kokoity commenting the current developments in South Ossetia.
”There is a will of certain circles to destabilize the not only because of events in Georgia, but also due to our own pre-election campaign. Therefore, I would like to address all inhabitants of North and South Ossetia to remain calm. Presently, the armed forces of Georgia are unable to resist neither the armed forces of South Ossetia nor to the military contingent of the RF in SO. Therefore, I consider it senseless to have this kind of concerns.

The IA RES had published a video record proving that three citizens of South Ossetia were abducted by Georgian law enforcement bodies, however no reaction from international human rights organizations followed.
Boris Chochiev, Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement:
It has been already four day and there is no reaction from international human rights organizations. Meanwhile, the video record gives a clear evidence that the South Ossetian citizens were captured by Georgian special services and these three persons were subjected to torture
Unfortunately, the policy of double standards tends to prevail in the activities of the EU and OSCE observers in the areas bordering with South Ossetia, where the abducted people were initially kept. Today, we know nothing about their fate and there are no guarantees that it there will be any clarification.

OSCE Mission Military MOnitors had been stopped on the territory of South Ossetia for illegal crossing of Georgian-Ossetian border.
"OSCE military monitors' vehicles was stopped by South Ossetian border-guards in Tskhinval district for illegal border crossing. They have been brought to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia", reported the Press-Service of RSO Interior Ministry.

On 16-17 April 2009, a Delegation from Transdnestria headed by Foreign Minister S. Simonenko paid a visit to the Republic of South Ossetia.
Meetings with RSO Foreign Minister Murat Djioev, Head of RSO President's Administration Alexander Bolshakov, Assistant to RSO President Zhanna Zasseeva and other officials, were held within the visit's framework.
During their talks, the sides discussed issues related to current situation and development of bilateral cooperation between the Republic of South Ossetia and Transdnestria, their interaction within the Commonwealth "For Democracy and Peoples' Rights". The sides exchanges information on the situation in the Caucasus after the Georgian aggression in August 2008 and recent developments in Moldova-Transdnestria settlement. The delegation visited reconstruction sites in Tskhinval.
In the conclusion, the sides agreed on further consultations and joint steps to be taken to implement the concluded agreements.

The Administration of Tskhinval District of South Ossetia established an ad hoc commission to estimate the damage caused to the district by August 2008 Georgian aggression, reported the Head of Tskhinval district Administration Inal Pukhaev.
According to him, this commission will estimate the damage caused both to housing and to infrastructure of the district. "We have a huge work ahead since the Georgian army went through almost the whole area. As a result of hostilities, majority of houses in the villages of the district were destroyed as well as schools, hospitals and other public buildings", said Pukhaev. The results of the assessment will be described in a report paper.

On 23 April, the first meeting of working groups to implement the mechanisms for incident prevention established by 17-18 February Geneva talks will take place, reported Boris Chochiev, the Special Representative for post-Conflict Settlement.
According to Chochiev, “the meeting will take place on the territory of Georgia adjacent to the state border of RSO in the vicinity of Ergneti village. The meeting will be an organizational one.”
”These meetings had been agreed at 17-18 February round of Geneva talks. The proposals aimed to exclude the possibility for concentration of military force and provocations from the Georgian side on the territories adjacent to South Ossetian borderer, to ensure rapid reaction to security situation, including incidents and their investigation”, said Chochiev.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the RSO is expressing a deep concern over the political and military support provided by NATO to Georgia. It is not a secret that exactly the Organization member states’ flirting with Georgia’s present fascist regime which they declared as “the most democratic”, encouraged the authorities of this state for unleashing a military aggression against the Republic of South Ossetia in August 2008 unprecedented in its cruelty and perfidy.
In addition to this policy of sympathy towards the aggressor state, a demonstrative NATO refusal to postpone or cancel the multinational exercises planned for 6 May-1 June to be held on the territory of Georgia with the participation of its armed forces had followed.