State Minister Notes ‘Breakthrough’ in S.Ossetia Talks
Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Giorgi Khaindrava described support expressed by Russia and the South Ossetian side towards a so called three-stage plan of conflict resolution voiced by President Saakashvili last September at the UN General Assembly session a “breakthrough.”
Giorgi Khaindrava said at a news conference in Tbilisi that the plan was approved by the quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC) during the session in Moscow on October 24-25.
?I think, this is a breakthrough – at least on a paper – in our relations, since we will have the opportunity, through cooperation with the international community and with the support of Russia, to implement a plan developed by the Georgian authorities,? Khaindrava said at a news briefing.
The Georgian State Minister said that he plans to visit Tskhinvali soon to discuss this plan with the South Ossetian leadership. The plan envisages a demilitarization of the conflict zone at the first stage, confidence-building measures at the second stage and a comprehensive political settlement of the conflict at the third stage.
Giorgi Khaindrava also noted that the JCC decided to organize a meeting between Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli and South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity prior to the next JCC session in Ljubljana, Slovenia – scheduled for November 15-16.
The State Minister said that the issue of involving the OSCE, European Union and the United States in the JCC negotiating format, will be discussed in Ljubljana.
He also noted that recent developments have created new opportunities for resolution of the South Ossetian conflict.
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