Russian MFA Articulates South Ossetian Stance over Peace Plan

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in an information note issued on May 5 that President of breakaway South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity “has actually agreed” on the three-stage conflict resolution plan which was voiced by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in his address to the UN General Assembly in New York last September. The Russian MFA also said that Eduard Kokoity is ready to halve the number of South Ossetia’s armed forces as part of the peace process.
 
“[Eduard] Kokoity has actually agreed on this three-stage [conflict] resolution scheme, proposed by [Mikheil] Saakashvili – envisaging a discussion of [the breakaway region’s] status on the last stage of resolution, after demilitarization [of the conflict zone] and social-economic rehabilitation of the conflict zone.  Moreover, he [the South Ossetian leader] announced about a unilateral reduction of the number of South Ossetian armed forces by 50% and proposed to launch contacts between the leadership of the Parliaments [of Georgia and the breakaway region], representatives of intelligentsia and public organizations. He also expressed a readiness to undertake practical steps towards development of a concept over the Zone on Economic Preference, which [beside South Ossetia itself] could also include the Alagiri district of Russia’s North Ossetia Republic and the Gori district [a central Georgia district which borders the breakaway region],” the information note reads.
 
“Hence, as seen from the above mentioned [things], the potential for constructive steps is available,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.
 
The Russian Foreign Ministry also welcomed Eduard Kokoity’s readiness to hold talks with Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli, but added that “this kind of meeting should be thoroughly prepared.”
 
Moscow also hailed Kokoity’s proposal to hold TV debates via satellite with President Saakashvili, “on the condition that these [TV debates] are based on dialogue and not on confrontation.” Kokoity offered to hold satellite TV debates with Saakashvili during the a recent interview with Tbilisi-based Rustavi 2 television.
 
The Russian Foreign Ministry’s information note follows a statement by Eduard Kokoity, made on May 4 in the interview with Rustavi 2. He said that it is of vital importance for resolution of this conflict to assess the reasons behind the bloody conflict between, as he said, “brotherly people” that occurred in the early 90s.