European Union’s delegation headed by the Special Representative of EU at South Caucasus Peter Semneby arrived to the Republic of South Ossetia. The delegation consisted of Robert Lidell, the first Adviser EU delegation to Georgia, Frederic Veslau and Rasa Ostrauscait, the political advisers of EU Special Representation at the Southern Caucasus.
In the capital of RSO – Tskhinval the EU delegation was welcomed by the RSO deputy Premier Minister, who is also the Minister for Special Cases and the JCC Co-chairman from South Ossetian side Boris Chochiev. The meeting was participated by the RSO President’s State Adviser Konstantin Kochiev, the deputy Foreign Minister of RSO Alan Pliev and the Secretary of JCC South Ossetian part Leonid Tibiliv.
According to Peter Semneby the visit of EU delegation to RSO is due to the last escalation of tension within the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone.
«We would like to see your opinion apropos of these events, what are you going to undertake to reduce the tension and to prevent such developments in future. Stabilization of situation is a key goal»-said Semneby and added that apart from this EU representatives would like to discuss the program of conflict zone economic rehabilitation and the trust building measures between the sides.
In his turn Boris Chochiev noted that the situation in Georgian-Ossetian relation is «complicated and dangerous than ever».
«The Georgian side neglects the negotiating process and the ways of peaceful settlement. Georgian Government is intended to destroy all the existing forms of negotiating process, including JCC»-mentioned Chochiev. He had stressed that Georgia is designedly violates the agreements having an international status including Dagomys agreement and Russo-Georgian intergovernmental agreement on economic rehabilitation of the conflict zone.
«Georgian Government is trying to convince the international community of its adherence to peaceful solution of the conflict but in reality is actively resort to force»-said Chochiev. He has mentioned Georgia’s refusal from any contacts including the ones participated by the international mediators.
«The Georgian side has completely blocked the realization of international donor program on economic rehabilitation of conflict zone. We reckon this opinion is shared not only by the Georgian Government but also by States backing Georgia. Otherwise how one can explain that out of eight millions Euros only one million have been spent. All the projects to be completed not even started. This is due to the fact that the Georgian side politicizes all this. And not only the donor program, UNHCR already for two years not rehabilitated a single house for this program was also blocked by Georgia»-said Chochiev.
