U.S. Condemns S.Ossetia’s Calls for Incorporation into Russia

U.S. Ambassador to OSCE Julie Finley said while addressing the organization’s Permanent Council on March 23 that Russia “could do more to help resolve the conflict” and noted the Joint Peacekeeping Forces’ (JPKF) failure to remove unauthorized heavy military equipment from the South Ossetian conflict zone.

The U.S. diplomat was speaking in a response to the report delivered to the Permanent Council by OSCE Head of Mission in Georgia, Ambassador Roy Reeve, who briefed the OSCE member states about the current developments in the South Ossetian conflict zone.

She also condemned the March 22 call by South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity for the incorporation of the breakaway region into the Russian Federation’s North Ossetian republic.

“We are concerned by continuing reports of illegal heavy military equipment appearing in the zone of conflict and the reported failure of the Joint Peacekeeping Force (JPKF) to ensure verifiable removal of such equipment under OSCE monitoring,” Julie Finley said.

She said that the U.S. supports Ambassador Reeve’s suggestion on setting up a checkpoint at the village of Gupta, the northern edge of the conflict zone.

“[Checkpoint] would substantially improve the ability of the JPKF and OSCE [monitoring officers] to deter further movements of unauthorized equipment into the zone of conflict,” Julie Finley said.

She also said hailed the proposal by Ambassador Reeve calling on the conflicting sides to reaffirm their commitment to the principal of non-use of force. She said this kind of commitment would improve overall situation in the conflict zone.

The U.S. diplomat welcomed unilateral demilitarization and confidence-building measures announced recently by the Georgian side. Georgian PM Zurab Nogaideli will address a special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on March 27 to brief the member states about implementation of these measures.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)