Tskhinvali Rules out Revenge Kidnapping of Georgians

Special Affairs Minister of breakaway South Ossetia Boris Chochiev said on June 8 that the disappearance of four Georgians in the South Ossetian conflict zone on June 6 is not linked with the recent shootout between the Ossetian militias and Georgian police on May 29 that left five people dead.

?This incident is linked with business, in which all these persons were involved. It bears no relation to politics or revenge,? Boris Chochiev told reporters after talks with Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava in Tskhinvali on June 8.

The Georgian State Minister traveled to Tskhinvali on June 8 in an attempt to avoid an escalation in tensions with the South Ossetian authorities.

He held talks with Boris Chochiev and commander of Joint Peacekeeping Troops Marat Kulakhmetov over the recent abduction incident. Goga Khaindrava called on the South Ossetian side to find the Georgians in a timely fashion.

“The South Ossetian side is no less interested [than the Georgian side] in finding them [Georgians],” Chochiev said.

Official Tbilisi claims that all four of these Georgians have been kidnapped, however, like the South Ossetian side, it ruled out revenge kidnapping.

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