South Ossetia is determined to continue open and positive dialogue and attached significant importance to Geneva discussions, stated the president of the Republic of South Ossetia Eduard KOkoity at the meeting with the Co-Chairs of Geneva discussions in Tskhinval. "We are certainly disappointed with the statements of Georgian officials that the consider the discussions as a process not as an instrument to defuse tensions. It undermines the image of the discussions, since today, this is the only existing mechanism which allows implementation of provisions set forth in Sarkozy-Medvedev agreement", said Kokoity. Taking about the necessity to sign a bilateral agreement between South Ossetia and Georgia, the president emphasized that the Republic needs guarantees of non-reoccurrence of the August 2008 events.
"We all know the conclusions of Amabssador Tagliavini's mission stating that Georgia was the aggressor. And hence, we need guarantees that the aggressor will not make another attempt, taking into account the fact that Georgia is regaining arms and weapons. The countries, which supplied Georgia and continue to do so, did not learn any lessons from what had happened. This has an effect on the confidence in European structures, including the EU military monitors", underscored the president, pointing to the fact that they (the monitors) should be fulfilling their duties on the territory of Georgia. "Anyway, we will agree on the presence of international organizations if only they recognize our independence and conclude with us corresponding agreements", stated Eduard Kokoity.
"We have studied all variants of the non-use of force paper, and agree with the proposal made by Russia, as an interim variant before a bilateral agreement with Georgia is signed", he said. According to him, Europe should condemn the acts committed by Georgia, "conduct a thorough monitoring there, since the military potential of Georgia is much higher today than it was before August 2008." Eduard Kokoity stated that offensive weapons are being supplied to Georgia: "South Ossetian side is ready to present to you in Geneva copies of the documents with evidence of when and upon what requisition orders the Georgian side had received weapons". The president reminded that before August 2008 South Ossetia had repeatedly addressed international organizations with a request to pay attention to the rapid acquisition of weapons by Georgia, but no steps were taken in response: "Today we again address you".
