Tbilisi, Tskhinvali Agree on Disarmament
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania and South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoev signed an agreement on November 5 envisaging the demilitarization of the South Ossetian conflict zone before November 20, the securing of free movement of the population, the implementation of joint economic projects and an increase in the number of OSCE observers in the conflict zone.
?Under the full demilitarization we mean the withdrawal of so called South Ossetian Defense Ministry forces from the conflict zone. Only the joint [Russian-Georgian-Ossetian] peacekeeping troops should remain there,? Zurab Zhvania told reporters after talks with Kokoev.
?We made it clear that the Georgian government?s supreme goal is the country?s territorial integrity, but we have also made it clear that our choice is to achieve this solely through peaceful means, through negotiations,? he added.
During the talks Zurab Zhvania said that Georgia?s new authorities enjoy popular support in the country and are able to make huge compromises in order to solve the conflict. But he added that Georgia will not make any compromise at the expense of the country?s territorial integrity.
Eduard Kokoev said that the South Ossetian side is ready for political dialogues. ?We have absolutely opposite positions regarding South Ossetia?s status, but the issue of status was not discussed during the meeting,? the South Ossetian leader told reporters in Sochi after the talks.
He also said that the Georgian side?s attempts to deliver an “Adjarian scenario” of peaceful power transition in South Ossetia are doomed to fail. ? An Adjara scenario has already failed in South Ossetia,? Kokoev added.
Talks in Sochi were held all day long and were participated in by delegations from Georgia, South Ossetia, North Ossetia and Russia. The Russian side was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Valery Loshchinin. Head of the OSCE Mission to Georgia Roy Reeve also participated in the meeting. Zhvania and Kokoev also held a one-hour, face-to-face meeting as well.
