Archive - 5/2010

The president of the Republic of South Ossetia held a session with ministers and heads of governmental agencies. The session began with the report of the Deputy Interior Minister of Vitaly Gassiev on the criminal situation in the Republic. Gassiev stressed that through the reported period the situation remained calm. According to him, particular attention was paid to prevention and investigation of crimes related to drugs and arms trafficking. “With the arms collection launched, we have collected enough arms and ammunitions. We are continuing these activities”, underlined Gassiev. He also noted the positive results in the investigation of criminal cases of few previous years. In the meantime, Eduard Kokoity made several remarks in relation to proper performance of the road police (GAI) personnel, who, according to him, did no always duly record the cases with drunk drivers.

On 17 May, Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary of the Republic of South Ossetia in the Russian Federation Dmitry Medoev participated in the official opening ceremony at the Embassy of Abkhazia in Moscow, the Russian Federation, upon the invitation from the Ambassador of Abkhazia in the RF I. A. Akhba. Official representative of the Russian MFA A. Nesterenko, Head of the CIS Department of the RF MFA A.S Kelin, Foreign Minister of Abkhazia M.Kh. Gvindzhia, Ambassador of Abkhazia in the RF, Russian MPs, heads of diplomatic missions of Nicaragua and Syria attended the ceremony.

South Ossetia has handed over to EUMM representatives three Georgian citizens detained 4 September 2009 for illegal border-crossing and unauthorized wood-cutting in Leningor district of South Ossetia. On 13 May, at the trial, the Georgian citizens, residents of Tvaurebi village, Kaspi district of Georgia, Levan Biganashvili, 1986, Aleko Didebashvili, 1985, Merab Tvauri, 1974, were convicted under Art 322, p.2, RF CC (illegal crossing of the state border). With the detention term already served, during which the investigation was ongoing, the Georgian citizens were released from the courtroom.

South Ossetia is determined to continue open and positive dialogue and attached significant importance to Geneva discussions, stated the president of the Republic of South Ossetia Eduard KOkoity at the meeting with the Co-Chairs of Geneva discussions in Tskhinval. "We are certainly disappointed with the statements of Georgian officials that the consider the discussions as a process not as an instrument to defuse tensions. It undermines the image of the discussions, since today, this is the only existing mechanism which allows implementation of provisions set forth in Sarkozy-Medvedev agreement", said Kokoity. Taking about the necessity to sign a bilateral agreement between South Ossetia and Georgia, the president emphasized that the Republic needs guarantees of non-reoccurrence of the August 2008 events.

The release of the three Georgian citizens and almost completed mission of the Council of Europe (CoE) Commissioner for Human Rights Tomas Hammarberg on finding out the fate of the missing South Ossetians, gives the hope for resumption of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM), stated the EU Envoy Pierre Morel while visiting Tskhinval with the delegation of the Geneva discussions' Co-Chairs.
The delegation arrived in South Ossetia to conduct preparatory consultations for the forthcoming 11th round of Geneva discussions to take place 7-8 June 2010. Ambassador Morel underlined that the resumption of the IPRM was an important component of the Co-Chair's work, since the Mechanism was created within the frames of Geneva discussions.

Today, the Geneva talks Co-Chairs are expected to pay a visit to South Ossetia. These are representatives of the EU, OSEC and UN, reported the office of the Plenipotentiary for Post-Conflict Settlement. The delegation will be headed by the EU Co-Chair Pierre Morel.

The South Ossetian side will release three more Georgian citizens detained in South Ossetia, reported the Plenipotentiary for Human Rights David Sanakoev.
"In the course of the day, Levan Otarovich Biganashvili, 1986, Aleko Amiranovish Didebashvili, 1985, Merab Gayozovich Tvauri, 1974, will be handed over to the EU military monitors active on the territory of Georgia adjacent to the borderline with South Ossetia. All the detainees are residents of Tvaurebi, Kaspi region of Georgia", said Sanakoev.

The Co-Chairs of the Geneva Discussions on Security in South Caucasus will pay a visit to South Ossetia. As the Plenipotentiary for Post-Conflict Settlement Boris Chochiev reported to IA RES, the EU, UN and OSCE Co-Chairs are planning to arrive in South Ossetia on 13 May to prepare the forthcoming round of talks. "The main issue to be raised by the South Ossetian delegation to the Geneva talks is the agreement on non-use of force between South Ossetia and Georgia", said Chochiev.

On 6 May, the Government sitting took place. The agenda included the issues related to increase of monthly child's allowance up to the age of 16, draft law of South Ossetia "On provision of housing to the citizens of South Ossetia from the state housing fund", on appointment of deputy Education Ministers, as well as the report of the Finance Minister of South Ossetia "On the implementation of the state budget for the first quarter of 2010". года».

A round-table "South Ossetia's investment potential: comprehensive approach, problems and perspectives" was held in Tskhinval 6 may. South Ossetia State University, International Institute of New States and the European Center for Geopolitical Analysis have organized the event. As emphasized by the Chief Editor of the Informational Agency REGNUM Modest Kolerov, the development of South Ossetia's economy should focus on development of high technologies, support to professional development of specialists and protection of environment.
"I very much hope that the government of Russia and the Russian Railways will be convinced in the necessity to resume the project of building a railway connection between Vladikavkaz and Tskhinval. This is a minor problem for the development of the technological productions in South Ossetia. But no, it seems to be the most important factor to ensure secured and quick access for hundreds of thousand tourists to the beautiful land of South Ossetia, and to stably, without extra expenses, build qualitative housing", said Kolerov.