Russian Negotiator Outlines Position of Moscow and Tskhinvali

Russian chief negotiator over South Ossetia Valery Kenyaikin has outlined the joint position of the Russian and South Ossetian sides after the first day of talks in frames of the Joint Controlled Commission (JCC) in Moscow on October 24 and said that Tskhinvali and Moscow advocate a three-stage conflict resolution process, which was voiced by President Saakashvili last year and supported by South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity. But the Russian diplomat said that Moscow and Tskhinvali reject Tbilisi?s proposal to change the current format of the peace process.

?We have called on the top leadership of Tbilisi and Tskhinvali to consider the further development of the peace process on the basis of the three-step scheme, voiced by Mikheil Saakashvili at the 59th session of the UN General Assembly [last September]? This plan envisages, at the first stage, solving the demilitarization problem in the conflict zone and confidence building. At the second stage, social-economic rehabilitation of the conflict zone is envisioned and at the third stage ? a comprehensive political settlement, including the definition of the status of South Ossetia,? RIA Novosti news agency quoted Valeri Kenyaikin, who represents the Russian side at the JCC.

?The JCC members have called on the Georgian and South Ossetian leadership to organize, in the near future, a meeting of Ministers of Defense in the Republics, as well as a meeting of Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli and South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity. We have also urged for a meeting between the leadership of the Parliaments of Georgia and South Ossetia,? the Russian diplomat said.

But he also added that it is yet unclear whether the Georgian side will sign these proposals. The JCC meeting will continue on October 25.

Valeri Kenyaikin noted that ?the optimistic stance? has been marred at the beginning of the talks ?by the anticipated surprise of the Georgian side?, alluding to the proposed change of the current negotiating format.

?The JCC remains the only meaningful instrument for resolving the conflict? The JCC was formed as a result of a decision by heads of the Russian and Georgian states in 1996, with the participation of leaders of South and North Ossetia, which acts in accordance to its mandate? We, on our own, can not make a decision about the change of the format. That is why this issue was not discussed at today?s session,? he said.

The Russian diplomat noted that the JCC, which involves the Georgian, South Ossetian, Russian and Russia?s North Ossetian sides, has welcomed the proposal by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office to hold the next session of the JCC in Ljubljana, Slovenia in November.

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