Tbilisi Briefs Foreign Diplomats over South Ossetia

Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Valery Chechelashvili and State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Giorgi Khaindrava met with diplomats from EU member states, as well as U.S. Ambassador John Tefft and representatives of the international organization accredited in Georgia and briefed them over Georgia’s position regarding the situation in the South Ossetian conflict zone.

The Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister stressed that Georgia is committed to solving the conflict only through peaceful means and dismissed allegations by the Russian and the South Ossetian sides that Tbilisi is preparing to regain control over the breakaway region with the use of force.

“The only thing we are now preparing is the upcoming donors’ conference in Brussels, scheduled for June 14,” Chechelashvili said.

It is expected that donor countries will be asked to contribute EUR 10 million to fund infrastructure and economic rehabilitation projects which were proposed in an OSCE-led Needs Assessment Study.

Georgia considers these rehabilitation projects an important part of confidence building process in the conflict zone.