Moscow, Tskhinvali Claim Tbilisi Chose ‘Military Scenario’

The Russian, North Ossetian and South Ossetian co-chairmen of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC), who gathered in Moscow on February 20-21 within the framework of the JCC expressed concern over the aggravated situation around South Ossetia, that was “triggered by the Georgian authorities” policy to thwart the negotiations on settlement of the South Ossetian conflict.”

In a statement posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry web-site on February 21, the JCC co-chairmen described the Georgian Parliament”s February 15 resolution on peacekeepers as “a destructive move” and said that “the implementation of the mentioned resolution by Georgia”s executive authorities may trigger catastrophic consequences for peaceful population and lead to large-scale destabilization in the conflict zone and the Caucasus region, as a whole.”

The JCC co-chairmen called on Tbilisi to reject the activities against the current format of the JCC and the Joint Peacekeeping Troops stationed in the South Ossetian conflict zone.

The statement also points out the Georgian side”s “provocations” against the Russian and Ossetian peacekeeping battalions, in particular, “the attacks, detention and murder of peacekeepers, improper demand of visas, etc.”

“The Georgian peacekeeping battalion actually does not subordinate to the Command of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces and performs the instructions of the Georgian Defense Ministry. The terms of rotation are constantly violated,” the statement reads.

“It seems that Tbilisi chooses a militant scenario, since the Georgian side ignores Tskhinvali”s peace initiatives, builds up armament and steps up military rhetoric,” the co-chairmen said in a statement.

“The co-chairmen call [on Tbilisi] to exclude military solution of the problem and launch the development of a joint document on non-resumption of hostilities and security guarantees,” the statement reads.

The JCC co-chairmen also stressed “a strange position” of OSCE that was revealed “in unprofessional and biased assessment of events, in hiding the facts of violation of security regime by the Georgian side and absence of OSCE observers at the JCC session in Moscow on February 20-21. All these will not increase OSCE”s credibility,” the statement adds.