The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Murat Djioev directed an official letter to OSCE Chairman-in-Office Alexander Stubb in connection with press release in the conclusion of the meeting of Alexander Stubb with the Foreign Minister of Georgia.
« I am in full measure share your concern apropos of situation in Georgian-Ossetian settlement you have expressed in a news release issued on 30 May 2008 in the aftermaths of the meeting with Georgian Foreign Minister. Still a special concern gives clear tendency for further deterioration of Georgian-Ossetian relations.
South Ossetia consider the reason is a purposeful wreckage by the Georgian side of the negotiation process which has the international guarantees within the existing format, systematic and demonstrative obliteration of the achieved earlier agreements by the Georgian side, designed deterioration of tension in the region undertaking by Georgia on the backdrop of its unprecedented militarization as well as the committing by Georgian special services acts of terrorism at the territory of South Ossetia and proactive attempts to misinform the international community undertaking by the Government of the neighboring State.
In this connection your statement concerning the ineffectiveness of existing format of settlement and the necessity of searching of possibilities for the new negotiation format expressed in above mentioned news release give raise for grounded bewilderment in South Ossetia.
We are extremely surprised by the fact that the talks about the possibility of shifting of the format of Georgian-Ossetian conflict settlement are conducting without the Republic of South Ossetia which is the party to the conflict and without the participation of South-Ossetian side which undoubtedly must be and will be the full-fledged side in any format of Georgian-Ossetian settlement.
A strive for destruction of the peaceful conflict settlement process demonstrating by the Georgian Government is quite clear for it still has no political arguments for the continuation of civilized dialog with South Ossetia. Guiding only by the own interests and aggressive aspirations towards South Ossetia Georgia is persistently attempting to change the format of peacekeeping operation in the conflict zone as well. However, if such initiative will become an official position of the OSCE which is entrusted with a high mission of mediator in the settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian relations within the existing format this may mean verification of ineffectiveness of the intermediary efforts of OSCE to which we have applied more than once with the request to return Georgian side to the negotiation process.
It is necessary to note that till the fall of 2003 the effectiveness of the existing settlement format was not questioned for within the framework of the Joint Control Commission was implemented the interaction of the sides in the spheres of economy, order keeping, security and the regional stability. However, after coming to power of the present Georgian government the Georgian side preferred the tack of confrontation and designedly led the negotiation process into the logjam, using the necessity of changing the negotiation format as a cover.
I would like to draw your attention to the actual breakdown of the international Program of the economic rehabilitation of the conflict zone conducted under the umbrella of OSCE, what was the direct result of unconstructive position of the Georgian side.
Of course, at such stand of one of the parties all the efforts for settlement of contradictions were doomed, and negotiations in any format were ineffective.
I consider it necessary to state again that for the Republic of South Ossetia is absolutely unacceptable the extension of the settlement format owing to so called «temporary administration of South Ossetia» on what so persistently insists Georgia. These attempts unambiguously having no prospects for this criminal structure, created in Georgia and placed in the conflict zone without any legal grounds is a middle-man at the preplanning and committing of diversion and terrorist acts at the territory of South Ossetia fulfilling by Georgia within the framework of its policy of State terrorism towards the Republic of South Ossetia and designedly used by the Georgian side as an additional vex factor in the Georgian-Ossetian relations.
Your Excellency, based on above-stated we consider the topical issue is not the matter of new negotiation format but rather to bring pressure on Georgian Government, what is essential for the resumption of negotiations and civilized dialog, as well as the mediatory effectiveness of OSCE. An indisputable positive influence at the created critical situation may effect an enhanced level of unbiased informational supply for international community regarding the roots and causes of Georgian-Ossetian conflict, its present actual state and the stand of South Ossetian side conditioned by will to observe the interests of the Republic of South Ossetia. Just with this purpose MFA of the Republic of South Ossetia once more applied to OSCE Mission in Georgia with a request of assistance in organizing of the visit of diplomatic corps accredited in Tbilisi to Tskhinval in the first half of June this year. Earlier the visit of foreign diplomats agreed through the OSCE mediation in April 2008 was wrecked in the result of active counteraction of Georgia’s Government.
Your Excellency, let me again express hope on justifying of our expectations of the mediatory efforts of headed by you Organization on which activity we as before pin hopes of changing of the situation for the better»
