Tbilisi Condemns North Ossetian Leader’s Position over S.Ossetia

Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Giorgi Khaindrava slammed the newly appointed leader of Russia’s North Ossetia republic Teimuraz Mamsurov for backing the idea of unification of North Ossetia and breakaway South Ossetia.

Teimuraz Mamsurov said in an interview with the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta on June 10 that South Ossetia should be united with Russia’s North Ossetian Republic.
 
“Such statements can further complicate the already tense situation in the South Ossetian conflict zone and trigger a diplomatic and political scandal. When an official of the [Russian] region speaks, it means that this is Russia’s policy,” Giorgi Khaindrava said on June 21.
 
He said that the Georgian side will push this issue and demand explanations from the Russian side during a meeting of the Joint Control Commission (JCC) in Moscow on June 21-22, which will be held with the participation of Georgian, South Ossetian, Russian and Russia’s North Ossetian sides.