The Georgian side’s decision to launch talks with the Tbilisi-loyal so called ‘alternative authorities’ of South Ossetia is “a provocation” which will further complicate the conflict resolution process, Foreign Ministry of breakaway South Ossetia said in a statement on March 17.
The statement was made in a response to President Saakashvili’s March 15 announcement that Tbilisi should launch “official relations and negotiations” with Dimitri Sanakoev, a self-imposed leader of South Ossetia, who has his administration in the Georgian village of Kurta in the conflict zone.
“The plain truth is that the Georgian leadership, which is investing huge money in a puppet “alternative government” created by them in South Ossetia and its PR campaign, has moved towards an active phase of legitimization of [Sanakoev’s authorities]… Such provocative actions by the Georgian leadership are directed towards aggravation of tensions,” the South Ossetian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It called on the international community to urge the Georgian side to refrain from establishing any ties with the Kurta-based authorities.
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