“Unfortunately the reaction on the happened event in Avnevi, village in South Ossetia that is controlled by the Georgian side, can only be called tendentious. The comments on the situation in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict were given by the JCC Co-Chairman from the North Ossetian side Murat Tskhostov to the Correspondent of “Res” agency.
”Without taking the trouble of waiting at least for the first results of the investigation, the Georgian side tries to put the blame on the Ossetians and use this incident as well as the other events in the conflict zone for a certainly unproductive political slogan – “withdraw the peacekeepers from the conflict zone”. From now onwards it should be expected that all the negative events in the conflict zone from criminal episodes to bad harvest will be imputed to peacekeepers. We call on the Georgian side not to tense the situation and do not politicize the incident but to investigate it in cooperation with the Ossetian law-enforcement bodies and the peacekeepers”, - stated Murat Tkhostov.
He also added that the urge to give to the event political tint is understandable as is understandable the urge of the Georgian side to destroy the existing resolution format. That is why the Avnevi and similar incidents are so quickly evaluated and the fact that the criminal and the political situation in the conflict zone changed not because of the agreements achieved in 1992 is ignored.
”I would like to remind to the Georgian colleagues, that these agreements and the peacekeeping operation were earlier evaluated by the Georgian side as positive and uniquely effective. I believe that the main factor of deterioration of the situation in the conflict zone after 2003 including the criminal situation is the inadequate perception of the 1992 agreements and of the policy that is based on their actual sabotage and incompliance. Permanent criticism and the existing resolution format are based on the assumption that the function of the 1992 agreements is to restore the jurisdiction of the Georgian authorities over the conflict territory. The nervousness in evaluation of the peacekeepers’ role and the “Sochi format” is because of the unawareness that their role is only to ensure stable military and political conditions for developing the negation process between the sides of the conflict. However, instead of building up conditions for such a process, establishing a dialogue with the South-Ossetian leadership on economic, political and legal resolution, we face attempts to liquidate the bases of the process. Suggestions to change the resolution format (i.e. withdrawal of the peacekeepers from the conflict zone), are made when Georgia refuses to sign any agreements on trust and prevention of military confrontation, which can only be estimated as an attempt to dismantle the only existing platform of the Georgian-Ossetian dialogue. Above that is obvious that the attempt to overturn the doctrine, the resolution practice as a progress to find a dialogue between the sides. Instead of that, according to the recent events, we see confrontation in the conflict zone, detention of people, humanitarian goods, blockage of roads, building up arms etc.
The elements of confrontation in the conflict zone instead of finding an agreement between the sides indicate that the Georgian side did not choose a regime of dialogue for the conflict resolution but rather a regime of dictation in respect of South Ossetia, the policy of permanent military, political, economic and informational pressure on the authorities and the population. It is very doubtful that this strategy could form in South Ossetia a position for a constructive dialogue with the authorities of a state that is associated with dictation, threats and violence.
If the Georgian side does not want to get involved in military operations why Georgia doesn’t agree with the known OSCE proposal and sign agreements with the South-Ossetian side on mutual guarantees not to renew the military activities? Only these measures or to be more precise their absence is the main subject that should be worked on in the JCC framework”, - said Murat Tkhostov.
