Russia Concerned over South Ossetia
In a statement issued on June 30 Russian Foreign Ministry expressed concern over ?the deteriorating situation in the Ossetian-Georgian conflict zone.?
The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the setting up of ?unauthorized? police checkpoints in the conflict zone and expressed concern over ?the economic blockade? imposed on South Ossetia by the Georgian side.
Moscow also denied any reports that Russia has agreed to set up a joint police checkpoint to prevent transportation of the smuggled goods in the breakaway region at Roki pass,which links South Ossetia with its neighboring Russian republic of North Ossetian.
The Russian Foreign Ministry statement reads that this kind of issue should only be solved by the Joint Control Commission, a quadripartite body involving Georgian, South Ossetian, Russian, and North Ossetian sides.
Georgia proposed the setting up of a joint checkpoint at Roki pass during the visit of Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Valeri Loshchinin in Georgia on June 24-25. However, the South Ossetian side rejected that proposal.
