Moscow Offers JCC Session in Vladikavkaz or Tskhinvali
At present, the the quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC) over South Ossetian conflict can only be held in Vladikavkaz, the capital of Russia’s North Ossetia, or Tskhinvali, capital of breakaway South Ossetian capital, Valery Kenyaikin, the Russian chief negotiator for South Ossetia, told RIA Novosti news agency in an interview on March 2.
The Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Giorgi Khaindrava said on March 2 that he has proposed to hold a session of the JCC in Tbilisi, but the South Ossetian side rejected this proposal.
“It [JCC session] can not be arranged in Tbilisi, because of those threats which have been voiced by the Georgian Interior Minister [Vano Merabishvili] towards the South Ossetian leadership. So the South Ossetian delegation can not travel to Tbilisi against the background of this situation. The holding of a session of the JCC in Tbilisi will become possible only when these statements are officially disavowed,” Valery Kenyaikin said.
He also said that the launch of the development of the joint Georgian-Ossetian action plan over resolution of the conflict should top the agenda of the JCC session.
“It is high time to say ‘no’ to unilateral initiatives… It is necessary jointly work over programs and projects, which can then be submitted to the top leadership of the sides to be signed,” the Russian official said.
