Archive - 9/2009

If necessary, the Sberbank will be working on weekends to pay out compensations to the citizens of the Republic affected during the Georgian aggressions in August 2008, reported the Chairman of RSO Sberbank Board Felix Zasseev.
"Yesterday, we received new pending list with 700 names of citizens eligible for compensations. We immediately opened their personal accounts foreseen in the register. The lists were hung at the entrance to the bank and started the payouts", said Zasseev.

Today, the seventh round of Geneva talks on security in the Caucasus has started. One of the main topics for the discussion are agreements on non-use of force against South Ossetia and Abkhazia by Georgia, that would become the main security guarantee for the two independent states.

During the celebrations of the Republic's Day, the personnel of the RSO Interior Ministry is put on high alert. As reported by Valery Valiev, the Interior Minister of South Ossetia, this measure is not related to any existing danger and should be considered as a routine practice.

South Ossetian delegation left for Geneva to participate in the 7th round of consultations on secuirty in the Caucasus, reported the Head of South Ossetian Delegation, Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement, Boris Chochiev. According to him, "the seventh round of consultations on stability in South Caucasus (Geneva discussions), which will take place on 17 September, will focus on security and humanitarian issues".
"We have prepared a number of important issues, which the security of our state from Saakashvili's regime is bound to. There is also a range of humanitarian issues, including the problem of refugees and displaced persons", said Chochiev.

Russia has signed in Moscow agreements on military cooperation with South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The agreements envisage establishment of military bases in these Republics. The agreements were signed by the RF Defense Minister Anatoly Serdukov and South Ossetia and Abkhazia's Defense Ministers Yury Tanaev and Merab Kishmaria. The event was reported to RES Agency in phone conversation with South Ossetian Defense Minister Yury Tanaev.
According to him, the agreement was concluded for 49 years with default prolongation for another 5 years. The agreements provide for the possibility to construct, use and improve the infrastructure of military bases on the territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as well as for creation of joint troops for actions both in times of war and peace.

The Delegation of Geneva Co-Chairmen arrived in South Ossetia, including the EU Envoy Pierre Morel, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Special Representative Charalampos Christopoulos, UN Secretary General' Special Representative Johann Verbeke, Deputy Director of the UNHCR Udo Janz and others. In Tskhinval, the delegation met with the RSO Foreign Minister Murat Djioev, Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement Boris Chochiev, and others.

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.

The opinion of the UN General Assembly might not coincide with the position of the whole organization, stated the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General Johann Verbeke commenting on the General Assembly's Resolution on return of refugees to Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Verbeke underlined that UN General Assembly and concretely the UN as such are different things: "The position of the General Assembly does not imply the position of the whole organization. Though we are members to the UN, each one of us reserves the right to work and help people whenever they are".

The Russian company GAZPROM and South Ossetian “Energetika” signed a contract on supplies of natural gas from Russia to South Ossetia. As reported by the acting first deputy Prime-Minister of South Ossetia Khasan Pliev, the contract was signed on 3 September.
“The contract envisages the price of 7,26 RUR per cubic meter. It is cheaper than the price for gas received through Georgia. In January 2009, the price was 13,8 RUR per cubic meter. Hence, for the South Ossetian budget, the price is more than 6 RUR per cubic meter cheaper than before”, said Pliev. He added that anther important aspect is the sustainability of supplies directly from Russia.

Georgian journalist Levan Gudadze with his family is seeking asylum in South Ossetia. As reported by the mother of the journalist Roza Bichikashvili, they decided to leave Georgia because of threats against her son for his journalist work. “Levan had led three informational web-pages in Tbilisi, which were one by one closed by the authorities. He received phone calls and letters with threats and therefore, we decided to leave the country”, said Bichikashvili.