Archive - 2009

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.

The Georgian side has been misleading not only the South Ossetian side, but also representatives of international organizations in the issues related to South Ossetians captured during and after the war in August 2008, stated the SO Ombudsman David Sanakoev commenting the video footage disseminated by IA RES on tortures practiced by Georgian special services against Ossetians.
”We gained access to video footage showing South Ossetians Alan Khachirov, Alan Khugaev and Soltan Pliev being subjected to tortures by representatives of Georgian law enforcement bodies. Earlier, representatives of the Georgian side, Chairman of Parliament committee for defense and security Givi Targamadze and Georgian Police representative Shalva Tramakidze denied the fact of these detainees being located in Georgia.

Today, a delegation of RSO government representatives went to Leningori district. As reported by the head of delegation, Finance MInister Inal Pukhaev, the purpose of the visit is to see the situation on the ground. "The main objective is to assess the situation with finances. Tskhinval had been receiving complaints from the population concerning the work of the local administration and vs. from the administration in regard to some inhabitants who refused to work", said Pukhaev.
He also stressed that as a follow-up, the problem with salary payouts for state owned structures would be settled. The delegation includes all ministers; deputies. The visit had been organized upon the initiative of RSO President Eduard Kokoity.

"We have an acting Prime-Minister, Aslanbek Bulatsev. Due to health reasons, Bulatsev is unable to take up his duties", stated RSO President Eduard Kokoity responding to journalist questions at the press-conference in Tskhinval about the long absence of Aslanbek Bulatsev. As stated by Eduard Kokoity, he "had recently met Aslanbek Bulatsev. He arrived in Moscow for doctors' consultations. He had serious health problems and that is why he could not take up his duties", said the president.
"He is willing to help but his health does not allow him to do so. We hope that Bulatsev will be soon able to take up his duties", said the President.

"Georgia had not yet turned into a real state and is now in a deep political crisis", said President of South Ossetian Eduard Kokoity commenting the political situation in Georgia.
"Rallies are being held in Tbilisi, the Georgian opposition demands for resignation of international criminal Saakashvili. He is responsible for victims of Georgian aggression," said Eduard Kokoity.
"In South and North Ossetia, the population is concerned about the last two day events and protest rallies in Georgia. Georgia tends to interpret this differently, as if Russia had started some actions against Georgia. There is nothing of the kind. The situation in South Ossetia is normal and calm. There are certain structures willing to destabilize the situation in South Ossetia".

The meeting with the Geneva talks Co-Chairmen finished in Tskhinval. According to the EU Co-Chairman Pierre Morel, the meeting discussed all planned issues. "A special attention was paid to the Incident Prevention Mechanism. A list of the sides' participants for weekly meetings will be soon announced. Creation of a hotline for regular discussion of problems and convening of emergency meetings had been envisaged", said Morel.

"A concentration of military personnel of Georgia's armed forces had been observed in the area of the village of Dirbi (in the border area adjacent to South Ossetia)", reported the Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement Boris Chochiev. According to him, the "appearance of Georgian military personnel in the number of 100 with armored vehicles and artillery was observed in the village of Dirbi".