Comment of the press-service of the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of South Ossetia
May 15, 2012 the newspaper "View" carried a statement of the Chairman of the Committee for Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Matteo Mekachchi, which he had made in Georgia. He said that OSCE "is going to restore the mission in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict" in July. This statement has caused great surprise in Tskhinval. In South Ossetia one has heard nothing about this intention of theOSCE; we have not received any form of address, so any negotiations are not being conducted with the authorities of the Republic of South Ossetia.
This statement has also caused amazement because, after the Georgian aggression against South Ossetia in August 2008 and the international recognition of South Ossetia, there is no more a "zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict", but there are unresolved relations between the two neighboring states - Georgia and the Republic of South Ossetia. Therefore, it is unclear where Mr. Mekachchi is going to place the OSCE Mission.
What about the relations with the Republic of South Ossetia, after August 2008, the OSCE could not work and does not work in South Ossetia with the same mandate, and it has not acquired the new one. Despite the fact that there were serious complaints about the activities and position of the representatives of the OSCE Mission, South Ossetia has repeatedly appealed to the leadership of the OSCE with a proposal to discuss the further relationship, taking into account the prevailing realities since August 2008 and the recognition of the Republic of South Ossetia, but we have not received any positive response from this international organization.
South Ossetian authorities have repeatedly stated that they are ready to cooperate with all the international organizations which show respect to the people of South Ossetia and recognize the existing political realities.
Tskhinval, May 16, 2012
