On the meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia S.V. Lavrov with the President of South Ossetia E.D. Kokoity
On 19 January a meeting between the Minister of Foreign Affairs S.V. Lavrov with the President of South Ossetia E.D. Kokoity, who is in Moscow on business trip, took place.
During the meeting S.V. Lavrov and E.D. Kokoity discussed the situation in South Ossetia, a range of issues related to further development of the negotiation process on the Georgian-Ossetian conflict resolution. The sides noted the need to take urgent and effective measures to find a way out of the prolonged deadlock in the negotiation process. They agree that lack of positive dynamics in this process could be a destabilizing factor for South Ossetia and for the whole region, could intensify confrontation, including armed, in the conflict zone.
S.V. Lavrov and E.D. Kokoity expressed their concern about persistent reluctance of the Georgian side to sign with the South Ossetian side a document on nun-resumption of hostilities. They confirmed the readiness of Russian and South Ossetia to further close interaction in the framework of the Joint Control Commission and appeal to the Georgian partners to resume joint work in the existing negotiation format.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation welcomed the initiatives introduced by the President of South Ossetia during the meeting with JCC co-chairmen and representatives of the International Organizations in Tskhinvali on 27 December 2006. The sides expressed hope that the leadership of Georgia in the nearest future positively react on these peaceful initiatives.
19 January 2007
