The Chief of the RF FSB Border-Guard Department in South Ossetia Alexander Murzin stated that the Russian border-guards interacted with representatives of Georgian authorities in order to settle conflict situations at the state borderline of South Ossetia with Georgia. “The state border implies deployment of the two sides’ representatives along this line. Undoubtedly, there issues to be identified and regulated jointly”, underlined Murzin at his press-conference in Tskhinval. According to him, various incidents occurred at the borderline, and they are likely to have place in the future. “Namely, the areas adjacent to the borderline are used for grazing. Animals do not care about borders, and hence, they often appear on the contiguous territory. Georgian media had recently disseminated information about eight armed persons, who had reportedly stolen 58 cows from the Georgian territory. We started checking this information with the Georgian side. Initially, they found a part of the lost cattle, then the rest. Apparently, the shepherds simply overslept and missed their cattle and had to invent this first story. The interaction resulted in the positive settlement of the situation”, said Murzin.
According to him, similar situation happened lately. “A part of the herd crossed the border. We received the information”, the cattle was returned to the Georgian side”, said Murzin.
He informed that the Border-Guard Service of South Ossetia established “a border-guard steering office to deal with the borderline incidents”.
”We participate in this process by providing necessary assistance and share the experience, which the Russian border-guards service has. The meetings between the representatives of the South Ossetian border-guard service and Georgian police at the state borderline are facilitated by Russian border-guards”, underlined Murzin.
The Russian border-guards protect the state border of South Ossetia in accordance with the inter-state Agreement between RSO and the RF on joint efforts aimed at protection the state border of South Ossetia signed 30 April 2009 in Moscow.
