JCC Talks over S.Ossetia Failed

Russian and South Ossetian negotiators said that the most recent session of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission in Vladikavkaz yielded no results because the Georgian side was insisting for a change in the current negotiating format, Russian news agencies reported.

?Like the first round of the JCC session in Moscow, the second round of the session in Vladikavkaz ended with no results, and the reason [for this] is the Georgian side?s inflexible position,? Yuri Popov, Russia’s chief negotiator over South Ossetia, said.

He said that Tbilisi insists on scrapping the quadripartite format in favor of bilateral Georgian-Ossetian talks under the aegis of the OSCE with the participation of the EU, U.S. and Russia.

?We have failed to agree on any provision of the session agenda. The Georgian side was actively pushing for a change in the negotiating format… The JCC is not authorized to take a decision about changing the negotiating format,? Boris Chochiev, chief South Ossetian negotiator, said.

?Although we have failed to reach an agreement, but we all are disposed to continue talks,? Merab Antadze, the Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues, said.

The October 12-13 Session in Moscow was a continuation of the 51st JCC session, which was also held in Moscow on August 17-18. But as negotiators failed to agree on ?key issues? the sides decided to hold a second round of the session.

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