South Ossetia continues to insist on signing a legally binding agreement on non-use of force against South Ossetia and Abkhazia, said Presidential Envoy of South Ossetia on post-conflict settlement Murat Dzhioev.
"In consideration of the new political situation of Georgia, we look forward to progress on this issue", - said the President of South Ossetia during the meeting with the heads of the law-enforcement agencies , referring to the results of the last 22 round of talks in Geneva.
According to Dzhioev, in 2009 the South Ossetian delegation issued a draft bilateral agreement between South Ossetia and Georgia not to use force and now it has proposed to return to it.
"As a next intermediate step, we have supported the proposal of the Russian delegation, which was made at the 19 round of the discussions - to sign a statement of commitment to the principle of non-use of force. During the 21 round the Russian side proposed a new balanced project that we supported and offered to adopt it at this session, but due to the fact that our counterparts had other positions, the experts began working on it, which has not been completed yet,"- said the envoy.
In the course of the meeting Dzhioev has also noted that at the Geneva talks was also discussed the situation in the border areas.
"We have focused upon the situation along the state border after the 21 round and though the EU officials have noted that it is generally stable, we pointed out that this was rather relative. We have discussed in detail the tragedy occurred on November 24 in the village of Mugut, when a resident of this village was blown up by a cluster rocket. This is additional evidence that in August 2008 Georgia used internationally prohibited weapons against the people of South Ossetia. It was also discussed the incident occurred on December 2 in the village of Koda. Georgian side presented it as a provocation on the part of South Ossetia. We, in turn, have provided the detailed information about the incident, stating that it was just the usual provocation of Georgia on the eve of the Geneva discussions, "- said the envoy.
The participants of the meeting have also considered the issue of the missing persons and citizens of South Ossetia, kept in the Georgian prisons.
"It was noted that the new Georgian authorities were not involved in these situations. But we expect them to give us any information on these issues, as our citizens have been detained by the official authorities of Georgia. I mean five out of the eight persons (Khachirov, Khugaev, Pliev, Kabisov and Ikaev), who disappeared in 2008 during the military conflict. We have also provided the detailed information about the detention of the citizens, who on fabricated charges are being kept in the Georgian prisons- among them Marik Dudaev,- and separately on the three citizens of South Ossetia (Georgy Zasseev, Georgy Valiev and Soslan Kochiev - Ed.), who were sentenced to life imprisonment " - said the ambassador, noting that the issue would be discussed tomorrow, December 18, at the MPRI meeting.
Murat Dzhioev drew the meeting's attention to the fact that the Georgian delegation had been represented as a new team, but it consisted of only two representatives of the new government, the rest of the delegation came to Geneva in the same composition.
"This is a head of the delegation Nikolos Vashakidze - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, who had previously worked in the Ministry and the Deputy Minister for Reintegration - Ketevan Tsikhelashvili", - he specified.
Having been informed by the envoy, the President has said that the Geneva discussions are still important for South Ossetia as the only platform from which the Republic has the ability to communicate its position to the international community.
"South Ossetia has taken up a standing position, which was announced long ago. And based on this position, we will be following the path, chosen by our people, "- said the president. He expressed hope that the new government of Georgia would assist us with addressing the issues of the missing and convicted citizens of South Ossetia.
Referring to the signing of the document on non-use of force, the president has noted that "most likely, the Georgian side will continue to delay this issue, but South Ossetia will insist on the signing of this document."
It should be reminded, that on December 12 the 22-round of the Geneva talks was completed in Geneva.
