Major Route in S.Ossetian Conflict Zone Remains Closed

A road which connects the Georgian villages of the South Ossetian conflict zone and passes via breakaway region?s capital Tskhinvali remains closed. South Ossetian officials say the reason is the refusal of the Georgian side to provide security on the portion of the road which is under the Georgian control.

Georgian parliamentarian from the South Ossetia?s Georgian-populated Didi Liakhvi constituency Guram Vakhtangashvili said on June 30 that closure of the road ?creates problems for the Georgian population? of the conflict zone. ?Only the off-road vehicles can pass through the by-pass roads connecting the Georgian villages of the conflict zone [by-passing Tskhinvali],? he said at the parliamentary session on June 30.
 
Commander of the Joint Peacekeeping forces Maj. Gen. Marat Kulakhmetov said on June 29 that the Georgian side explains closure of the road by the fact that it can not ensure security on this route after the situation has deteriorated in the conflict zone following the May 29 armed clash between the South Ossetian militias and Georgian police and disappearance of four Georgians in the conflict zone on June 6.

According to the South Ossetian Press and Information Committee Marat Kulakhmetov said that resumption of movement on this road would be ?untimely? at the moment, because there are no security guarantees.

MP Guram Vakhtangashvili requested the Parliament to summon State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Giorgi Khaindrava and Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili to explain the reason why the Georgian side fails to ensure security on the potation of the road which is under the Georgian control.

According to the South Ossetian sources, authorities of the breakaway region proposed to the Georgian side that they were ready to ensure security of movement of all kind of vehicles from Ergneti to Tamarasheni villages via Tskhinvali. This portion of the road is under the control of the South Ossetian side. But the Georgian side ?refrained? to provide security of movement from Tamarasheni to Kekhvi portion of the road, which is under the Georgian side?s control, according to the South Ossetian sources.

This road between the Georgian villages of Ergneti in the south of Tskhinvali and Kekhvi in the north of the breakaway region?s capital is of vital importance for the South Ossetian side as well because it is the shortest way to access Tskhinvali for those vehicles moving from the north of the unrecognized republic.

There are speculations that the Georgian side wants this road to be closed apparently in an attempt to prevent the Russia?s humanitarian aid to reach Tskhinvali. This aid, which was provided by the Moscow Mayor?s Office and which departed from Moscow on June 25, has sparked war of words between the Georgian and Russian sides.

Tbilisi expressed protest that the Russian side has not informed Georgia in advance about the intention to send the aid to the South Ossetian side and claimed that the aid also included military equipment. The Russian Foreign Ministry strongly denied these accusations on June 29.

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