The recent statements by the president of Georgia point to preparations for a new war against South Ossetia and Abkhazia. This has been said IA "Res" by a Special Representative of the Association of the cross-border cooperation in Central Asia and in the Caucasus Mikhail Chernov, commenting on Saakashvili's statements about the need for active arms production and the establishment of the reserve armed forces of Georgia.
Deployment of international police forces in South Ossetia and Abkhazia is impossible because of absurdity of the question itself which is infringement of independence and sovereignty of the republics. This opinion was stated in an interview with IA "Res" by a representative of the Association of cross-border cooperation in Central Asia and Caucasus, Mikhail Chernov, commenting on the yesterday's statement by the Georgian Foreign Ministry on the need to deploy an international police force in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
However, the expert expressed concern about the situation related to penetration of drugs from Georgia to Abkhazia, South Ossetia and the North Caucasus.
Blitz-Poll: South Ossetia and Russia signed an intergovernmental agreement "On the mode of trade in goods," which will provide for duty-free trade between the two countries. How, in your opinion, it will affect the economy of the Republic?
Roin Kozaev, head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of South Ossetia:
The agreement will allow free trade between South Ossetia and Russia. South Ossetian goods, exported to Russia, will not be imposed to Russian taxes, and the Russian goods, imported into South Ossetia, will not be taxed. But it does not cover all the commodities. There are products that will be taxed - sugar, wine, beer, mineral water, etc. Goods, imported from Russia to South Ossetia, are not manufactured in our Republic, so the Russian commodity producers will not meet any competition in our Republic.
Quiz: according to the international observers the first round of presidential elections of the RSO on November, 13 has been held transparently, without serious violations.
How do you think, whether the second round of presidential elections will be so fair and objective?
Vyacheslav Gobozov, the leader of Socialist Party «Fydybaestae - Fatherland»:
I think that the second round of the Presidency of the RSO will also be held fairly. It seems to me, there are no preconditions that someone could undertake attempts to falsify the elections. The second round of the elections will be fair, and the winner will be that one whom the people of South Ossetia will vote for.
Georgy Kabisov, the ex-candidate for the Presidency, the Chairman of the State Committee of Information, Communications and Mass Media of the RSO:
Despite the political temperature, I think that the election campaign as a whole is being conducted within legal boundaries. It would be desirable to express gratitude to candidates who have not admitted any excesses, and, I`d like to believe that they will adhere to this position later on. Dignity consists not only in winning, but also in being able to lose with honour.
Quiz: the Pacific state Tuvalu has recognized the independence of South Ossetia. How do you estimate this act and what steps we should take to be recognized by the other states?
Murat Dzhioev, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the RSO:
During the recent visit of the Prime Minister of Tuvalu to South Ossetia the joint statement on establishment diplomatic relations has been signed in Tskhinval. It means that the Republic of South Ossetia has been recognized by one more state.
South Ossetia three years later after the independence recognition
Opinion: Kazbulat Tskhovrebov, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the RSO:
On August, 26 the third anniversary of the independence recognition of the Republic of South Ossetia by the Russian Federation is celebrated. It has been done much on the international scene for the last years. Priority direction of our foreign policy is cooperation strengthening with the Russian Federation.
Flash-poll: Recently Georgia has speeded up provocations at the frontier zone, including illegal crossing of the RSO border, the frontier-guards shooting and the groundless charges of South Ossetia of the incidents. In your opinion, what aims does the Georgian leadership pursue by these actions and what are the possible counter-measures?
Merab Chigoev, the Deputy Plenipotentiary of the President of the RSO on post conflict settlement:
The purposes which are pursued by the Georgian leadership are obvious and they mostly touch not problems connected with South Ossetia, but the Georgian-Ossetian relations. Being more definite, the constant statements of Georgia that they have caught Russian agents, is nothing more than spy mania, plus unreasonable charges of South Ossetia of the incidents which happen at the border. All these facts testify that Georgia purposefully tries to discredit the Russian Federation as the peacemaker in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and as much as possible tries to receive any political dividends, using forbidden tricks and methods. In this sphere the Georgian mass media, absolutely subordinated to the authorities and being their megaphone, are actively used. The evidence of it is the recent incident in the village Knolevi (Georgia) in immediate proximity from the border of the RSO. I do not know whether it was a casual shot or not, but the young woman has been killed, and the Georgian mass-media instantly have, as if at the command, discharged theit anger upon South Ossetia, accusing it that the shot has been made on the part of the RSO, though they should really have known that the shot was made in the village Knolevi. Similar actions suggest that Georgia tries to discredit first of all the peace-loving policy of Russia, the Russian military men and frontier guards, and, at the same time, of course, our young Republic and our relevant structures which protect our frontier.
