Question: How would you assess the recent development of events in the Tskhinvali region?

Reply: The international community keeps a close watch over a series of armed provocations carried out by the criminal regime in the Tskhinvali region. Cases in point include: a terrorist act committed against the head of the South Ossetian provisional administration D. Sanakoev, an armed attack carried out the same day by a gang of separatists on an excursion bus carrying children from the conflict zone to Tbilisi, opening of fire by illegal armed formations of separatists on 28 July  at a trilateral group of JPKF military observers and OSCE officers

As for the incidents of the last two days, a terrorist act committed on 1 August  left 5 policemen wounded, one of them severely. On 2 August, late at night, bandit groups of the criminal regime opened fire at the villages of Kvemo and Zemo Nikozi, Avnevi, Eredvi and Ergneti. Shootings proceeded in the direction of a Georgian peacekeeping battalion and police checkpoints as well. As a result, six peaceful civilians and a policeman of the Interior Ministry received various wounds and injuries. Several dwelling houses were damaged.

We have on more than one occasion focused the attention of the international community, including the Russian Federation on the fact that the existence of the criminal regime in the Tskhinvali region poses threat to peace and stability in the Caucasus region as a whole.

It needs to be emphasized that the background to the existing complicated situation is provided by ineffective format of negotiations and peacekeeping operation incapable to bring about progress in the conflict resolution process and ensure security in the conflict zone.

The Georgian side reaffirms its readiness to cooperate with all parties concerned in order to defuse tension and achieve peaceful resolution of the conflict on the basis of universally recognized norms and principles of international law.  

2 August 2008

Press and Information Department