Georgian PM: South Ossetia Demilitarization Deadline Violated

Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania said at a government session on December 1 that the process of implementation of the Sochi agreement over the demilitarization of the South Ossetian conflict zone, achieved with South Ossetian de facto President Eduard Kokoev, has been delayed.
 
?The agreement has been violated by the South Ossetian side as well as by Russia, who, as a mediator, assumed certain responsibilities for its implementation,? the Prime Minister said while commenting on the recent developments in the South Ossetian conflict zone.
 
?The deadline for the demilitarization process – November 20 has not been defined, or pushed by us,? the Prime Minister added.
 
Reportedly, the National Security Council of Georgia will discuss the process of demilitarization in the conflict zone sometime in the coming days.
 
According to the Sochi agreement between Zurab Zhvania and Eduard Kokoev, the demilitarization process should have ended before November 20.

However, on November 20, at the meeting of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission in Vladikavkaz, representatives of the Georgian, South Ossetian, Russian and North Ossetian sides agreed to set a new deadline. Particularly, the JCC agreed that the military fortifications should be dismantled before November 28.

Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava, who briefed the Georgian cabinet members over the recent developments in breakaway South Ossetia on December 1, told reporters that the situation in the conflict zone is stable.

?There are a couple of places where uncontrolled groups are operating. One of these places is the so called Textile district in [South Ossetian capital] Tskhinvali. This group is a problem even for the local [South Ossetian] authorities,? Goga Khaindrava said.

?However, the overall situation is relatively calm, it is stable,? he added.