Moscow Firm on S.Ossetia Policy
Moscow will maintain its ?principled position? on South Ossetia, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on August 2.
The statement follows an article published in the Russian daily, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, on the same day suggesting that Moscow was ready to abandon the secessionist South Ossetian authorities in exchange for control over the Enguri hydro power plant on the Abkhaz border.
?We already have read a number of assumptions about the Russian side?s support for [Dimitri] Sanakoev?s ?administration? [referring to the Tbilisi-backed provisional South Ossetian administration] and about our ?readiness? to trade South Ossetia for Tbilisi?s rejection of NATO, etc.? the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Such groundless allegations, it said, were an attempt ?to drive a wedge between the Russian, South Ossetian and Abkhaz sides.?
The Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out that Moscow was continuing with negotiations with Tbilisi on many issues, including the conflicts.
?However, during these talks we have never considered making compromises or trade-offs on principled issues,? the Foreign Ministry said. ?Our position remains extremely objective and transparent? Conflicts can be resolved based on a comprehensive agreement acceptable to all the parties concerned.?
The Georgian Foreign Ministry has also rejected media reports about deal with Russia as ?product of fantasy.?
?We share the general idea of the comment made by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is totally inadmissible to put such an acute issue open to various speculations,? the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.
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