On 10 February 2009, the personnel of the Artsevi interior department personnel had observed and stopped a vehicle with two OSCE Mission military monitors not far from the village of Adzvistav of Tskhinval District. The monitors had illegally crossed the state border of the Republic of South Ossetia. In the conversation with the monitors, they stated that this fact was a pure misunderstanding. After necessary explanations and formalities, the monitors left the territory of South Ossetia.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the RSO would like to remind that the Mandate of the OSCE Mission to Georgia being the basis for the Mission"s activities on the territory of South Ossetia lost its validity since August 2008 events and is not currently in force. In this regard, the RSO had repeatedly addressed the OSCE top officials with a proposal to elaborate a new concept for relations and sign an agreement, which would legally enact the OSCE"s activities in the RSO. This document should certainly correspond the new realities after the August 2008 events.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the RSO would like to once again state the interest South Ossetia has in legitimate presence of international agencies on its territory and deems this factor contributing to regional security.
Tskhinval, 10 February 2009
