Part of the population of the village of Zardiantkari (Georgia) will leave their homes if the Georgian Interior Ministry in the near future does not take away the police post, placed there last Saturday.
This was stated by President of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov at a meeting with the heads of security agencies.
"The Post was placed on Saturday, for two days it was strengthened by joining about 30 servicemen. Residents of this village are mostly Ossetians and about eight families left the village. They appealed to us for help in resolving this situation, "- said the head of the state.
He recalled that the day before in Zardiantkari had been held an emergency meeting in the format of Mechanisms on Prevention and Reaction to Incidents (MPRI), where had been discussed the two possible solutions.
"The first is- to remove the post, the second - to move it to its original place. The Georgian side did not agree with this on the pretext of that previously in this village had been living the Georgians; the Georgian authorities are planning to return back these families to Zardiantkari. They affirmed that the post had been placed for security reasons "- said Tibilov.
He added that the question was still open, and in the coming days would be held one moreMPRI meeting.
"If the post is not removed or is not moved to the former place, the families, which had applied to us, will leave their native village forever. We hope that our diplomacy will work, and this situation will be settled"- the president stressed.
According to him the true cause of the Georgian police post in Zardiantkari is controlling and supervising of the border road in South Ossetia.
According to the Attorney General of South Ossetia Merab Chigoev, the post was placed illegally.
"I have worked in this system for years. Previously, through the mediation of the OSCE and the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) it was reached an agreement with the Georgian side, which stipulated that the armed men should not approach the border line closer than 500 meters. This agreement has been violated by Georgia with the connivance of the Observer Mission, "- underlined Attorney General.
It should be reminded, that June 29, residents of Zardiantkari, frightened by placing the Georgian police post in the middle of the village, appealed to the authorities of South Ossetia.
Convened in connection with this the MPRI emergency meeting did not give specific results. The parties announced their intention in the near future to hold another meeting in the same format.
