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The newly elected President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich will be more cautious in his practical actions than declared in his pre-election campaign, said the Head of the RF Duma Committee for International Affairs Konstantin Kosachev while visiting Tskhinval and responding to journalists' questions whether there was any possibility that Ukrainian President Yanukovich might recognize South Ossetia. "I think no one can give an answer to this questions now, including Yanukovich himself, though it might sound paradoxically", underlined Kosachev. "There is a common understanding that the election campaign always differs from the real policy. We are now entering an interesting period when the elected president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich starts the implementation of the declared election program, and we still have to understand and see how consistent Yanukovich is in his practical steps". Commenting on the recently signed agreement on cooperation between the Party "Yedinaya Rossia" and the political movement of the former Georgian Prime-Minister Zurab Nogaideli "For Just Georgia", Konstantin Kosachev stated: "We are not idealizing Mr.Nogaideli and his party. We agreed on this cooperation since we deem it necessary that the dialogue between politicians, and through politicians, between the peoples of Russia and Georgia should continue, and we should not be taken hostage by the destructive and deadlock policy imposed by the president Saakashvili. It is crucial."

Konstantin Kosachev, the Head of the RF State Duma Committee for International Affairs, visited South Ossetia. In Tskhinval, Konstantin Kosachev met with the Speaker of South Ossetian Parliament Stanislav Kochiev, Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Political Party "Yedinstvo" Zurab Kokoev, Deputy Prime-Minister of South Ossetian Government Domenty Kulumbegov and other officials. While opening the meeting, Stanislav Kochiev expressed the gratitude for the attention paid to SOuth Ossetia and its problems.

It has been almost two years that the residents of Leningor district of South Ossetia are not getting Russian gas transited through Georgia. This issues has been discussed at the last round of Geneva talks on security in the Caucasus. As Boris Chochiev, the Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement, reported to RES Agency, there were no real steps taken by anyone, including international organizations, to settle this humanitarian problem.

Today, the South Ossetian President's Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement Boris Chochiev met with the ICRC Mission representative Gilles Hansoul. As Boris Cchochiev reported to Res Agency, the discussion focused on the issues related to the meeting in Geneva on missing citizens of South Ossetia between representatives of South Ossetia and the ICRC. "The meeting in Geneva is held upon the initiative of the ICRC. Today we agreed on the date for this meeting in Geneva, since we expect the CoE Commissioner Tomas Hammarberg to arrive in South Ossetia on the same dates in February", said Chochiev.

The Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement Boris Chochiev and Head of Protection Department of the ICRC mission in South Ossetia Gilles Hansoul discussed the results of the meeting in the ICRC Headquarters in Geneva on 27 January 2010, which took place between the SO Human Rights Commissioner David Sanakoev, Deputy Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement Merab Chigoev and Deputy Head of Operations OP_East Djordje Drndanski.

Boris Chochiev, the Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement, reported to media on the results of the 9th round of Geneva talks held on 28 January. According to him, Geneva participants had discussed issues, which were already on the agenda: "This is the question on non-use of force against South Ossetia and Abkhazia in accordance with Sarkozy-Medvedev agreements. Another important topic was the fate of missing South Ossetian citizens. We also discussed the resumption of natural gas to Leningor district tackled in the second working group dealing with humanitarian issues, including that of refugee return. The resumption of Incident Prevention Mechanism (IPRM) meetings was also touched upon. We have refused to participate in the IPRM before the Georgian authorities provide us with information on our abducted citizens".

The Ministry of Interior of the Republic of South Ossetia filed a criminal case against Malkhaz Akhvlediani, a Georgian citizen detained for illegal border-crossing, reported the Press-Service of the RSO MoI. "Malkhaz Akhvlediani was detained 31 January in southern outskirts of Tskhinval", reads the report.
"He is incriminated in illegal crossing of the state border between South Ossetia and Georgia. Presently, law enforcement bodies are investigating the case", reported the Press-Service.

The president of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity had an inspection visit to construction sites in Tskhinval. Deputy Prime-Minister Alexander Zelig, representatives of "Stroytechcontrol" and State Committee for Rehabilitation Projects accompanied him during his visit.

The Georgian authorities keep trying to destabilize the situation at the Georgian-Ossetian boundary line, including organization of open provocations, reported a source in the RSO law enforcement bodies.
According to this source, special services of RSO received information about the intentions of the Georgian side to attempt a delivery of unauthorized trucks with humanitarian aid.

"Neither the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) of RSO nor district administrations had received any official notifications or requests from the Georgian side or international organizations in relation to any planned actions or delivery of humanitarian aid to the territory of South Ossetia", stated Alan Pliev, Deputy MFA.
According to him, the intentions of Georgia to attach political implications speak for the fact that the needs of the local population hardly cause any interest among Georgian authorities. "It is more important for them to fuel tensions between the sides, moreover, there are consultations ongoing in Geneva, where along with security issues, the problems of interaction are discussed", said Pliev.