Concerning the breakdown of the preparatory meting for 18 May round of Geneva talks scheduled for 5 May
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia expresses its sincere regret in relation to the fact that the working meeting of the Geneva talks Co-Chairmen with the authorities of South Ossetia to prepare the next round of Geneva talks failed to take place on 5 May 2009 in Tskhinval as initially scheduled due to the Co-Chairmen’s unconstructive position. This position has been proved with the letter received by the RSO MFA from the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ambassador Charlampos Christopoulos stating that after having consultations the Geneva Co-Chairmen decided to cancel the meeting since due to “security reasons they could arrive in Tskhinval only from the Georgian side and exclusively by vehicles of OSCE Mission to Georgia or UN Mission to Georgia.
The unacceptability of these conditions was clearly stated by the South Ossetian side back on 31 March 2009 during the last meeting. Then, the South Ossetian authorities being interested in continuation of Geneva discussions, proposed a compromise solution, when the authorities of the RSO while providing the Co-Chairmen with an exceptional rights to enter the Republic of South Osseti from the territory of Georgia, offered their transportation and ensuring full security guarantees from the very start to the end of the visit, was not accepted. Unfortunately, these offers by the South Ossetian side were declined and the decision on this purely technical matter was unacceptably politicized turning out into an obstacle for the meeting which was crucially important for strengthening of regional security. The RSO MFA should once again confirm that the arrival and movement of representatives of international agencies accredited in the neighboring Georgia is unacceptable and this position is irrevocable.
As to OSCE, it is worth mentioning that after August 2008, the operation of its Mission to Georgia on the territory of South Ossetia was completely stopped. Despite the repeated addresses by South Ossetia to officials of this organization with a proposal to jointly elaborate and adopt legal frames for future relations which would reflect modern realities, the issue remains unsettled by OSCE. The OSCE also refuses to voice a clear assessment to the events in August 2008 and the action of its Mission to Georgia which appeared incapable to implement its mandate based on an unbiased approach towards the sides in the conflict, and detached itself from any attempts to bring the Georgian authorities back to negotiation table where the OSCE played the role of a mediator and therefore was unable to prevent Georgia’s armed aggression against South Ossetia.
In the light with the above mentioned, the RSO is convinced that the facilitation by the OSCE Mission to Georgia of the Geneva Co-Chairmen visit to South Ossetia, or by any other international organization acting in Georgia and not accredited in South Ossetia, does not fall under their status and their authority, and contravenes the existing realities and does not contribute to the diplomatic process of post-conflict settlement.
Tskhinval
May 6, 2009
