Archive - 2009

South Ossetia suggested introducing new terms for the meetings of working groups within the framework of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRM). As reported by the Head of the South Ossetian delegation to the IPRM Merab Chigoev, the today’s meeting in the borderline village of Ergneti, the sides did not manage to come to an agreement on changes to the existing terms of the meetings, however after the meeting in Geneva on 17-18 September, the agreement on changes to the terms of the meetings was achieved.

A delegation of Government officials of the Republic of South Ossetia headed President Eduard Kokoity paid a visit to Djava district. The delegation included Stanislav kochiev, Parliament Speaker, the newly appointed First Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zelig, Interior Minister Valery Valiev, Head of Emercom Anatoly Bibilov, First Deputy Defense Minister Ibragim Gasseev, the Head of the State Committee for Reconstruction Zurab Kabisov and other officials.
As reported by RSO Government Press-Service, during this trip the delegation visited several sites in Djava district. In Kvaisa, President and Government officials visited Kirov school, had a meeting with population affected by the earthquake.

RSO President Eduard Kokoity visited reconstruction sites, the buildings destroyed during the Georgian aggression in August 2008. While this visit, he was accompanied by the Chairman of the Government Vadim Brovtsev, Chairman of the State Committee for Reconstruction Zurab Kabisov, the Director of “Direction for Implementation of Priority Project” Ismagil Karimov, as well as by representatives of contractor companies. President visited sites in Djava and Tskhinval districts of South Ossetia and private and municipal houses under reconstruction in Tskhinval city.

On 17-18 September, the seventh round of Geneva Discussions on security in the Caucasus took place. Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement Boris Chochiev told journalists about this round of talks and its results. According to him, “at the last two rounds of talks, our delegation’s priority issue was the non-use or threat of use of force”.
“It was hard to convince that it was necessary. All delegations had elaborated their drafts on this issue. A day before the meeting, the Co-Mediators had circulated these proposals and upon our arrival in Geneva we had already discussed them. We had firmly criticized them, since these drafts contained everything except security. During the discussion, the head of the Georgian delegation Giga Bokeria stated that Georgia was not going to sign any agreements with South Ossetia and Abkhazia”, said Chochiev.

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.