S.Ossetian Official Rejects Tbilisi’s Calls for Bilateral Talks

Bilateral negotiations between the Georgian and South Ossetian sides outside of the existing quadripartite format will have negative consequences on the peace process, Dmitri Medoev, representative of the unrecognized South Ossetian authorities in Russia, said at a news conference in Moscow.

“We insist on maintaining the current quadripartite format… Russia, as a major guarantor, can not be excluded from the process. Russia is a major country in the Caucasus and Georgia has to take Russia’s position into consideration,” Medoev said at the news conference organized by the Russian news agency Interfax.

Officials in Tbilisi have recently refrained from participating in sessions of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC), which involves negotiators from the Georgian, South Ossetian, Russian and Russia’s North Ossetian sides.

As an alternative Tbilisi is calling on the South Ossetian side to take part in a bilateral “constructive dialogue” in which the EU, U.S. OSCE and Russia will all act as mediators.

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