Kokoity Warns Tskhinvali May Pull Out from Stalled Talks

The South Ossetian secessionist leader Eduard Kokoity said on May 8 that Tskhinvali would consider withdrawing from the negotiating process with Tbilisi if the Georgian side continued to undermine the current negotiating format.

Authorities in Tskhinvali say that the Georgian side?s promotion of alternative leader Dimitri Sanakoev is an attempt to trigger confrontation within Ossetian society and in the region.

?Georgia?s actions towards South Ossetia make us believe that [the Georgian side] is not willing to deal with the situation in a peaceful manner. Georgia continues to escalate tensions, provoking the Ossetian side and ignoring the negotiating process,? Kokoity said in a statement posted on the South Ossetian Press and Information Committee.

?Only civilized dialogue is acceptable for the South Ossetian side; otherwise we will have to consider whether to participate or not in negotiations in the future? There is no one with whom we can hold talks to resolve this issue,? he added.

Talks between the Georgian side and South Ossetian secessionist authorities have already been put on hold.

Tskhinvali and Moscow insist on talks in the framework of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC). Tbilisi, however, wishes to by-pass this mechanism, claiming that it is an unfair and outdated negotiating arrangement.

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