Russia, OSCE Support JCC Format for South Ossetia

Visiting OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Moscow to discuss, along with issues related with the reform of the OSCE, the situation in the South Ossetian conflict zone, the OSCE press office reported.

The two ministers express support for the work of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC), which is currently the only negotiating format between the conflicting sides. The Commission, which involves representatives from the Georgian, South Ossetian, Russian and Russia?s North Ossetian sides, has been strongly criticized by Tbilisi for its ineffectiveness and the Georgian authorities are seeking to change the peace format in South Ossetia. 

“We need to re-double our efforts to bring sustainable peace to parts of the OSCE areas – like Transdniestria and South Ossetia – that have been a source of instability for some time? This, along with reform, will remain a high priority for Slovenia’s Chairmanship until the end of the year,” Dimitrij Rupel said at a joint news conference with the Russian Foreign Minister in Moscow.

?We have exchanged opinions over those particular steps, which might be taken regarding the South Ossetian conflict, where Russia and the OSCE act as mediators who are actively searching for ways of [conflict] resolution,? Sergey Lavrov said, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry?s press office.

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