US Concerned Over Presence of Heavy Weapons in South Ossetia

(Tbilisi February 4, 2003. Civil Georgia) – In a statement to the OSCE Permanent Council January 30, U.S. diplomat Douglas Davidson expressed concern regarding the presence of heavy weapons in the South Ossetian conflict zone.

“The United States shares the concerns expressed by other delegations here today over the reports of heavy weapons, including artillery, in a military depot in the Tskhinvali region that apparently belongs to the Ossetian battalion of the Joint Peacekeeping Force,” Douglas Davidson, Deputy Head of the US Delegation in OSCE stated.

He urge all sides to the conflict in South Ossetia to respect their commitments and obligations, and to work together constructively towards a political settlement of the conflict.

“The United States reiterates its full commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia,” US diplomat said.

Georgian Foreign Ministry’s statement issued on February 3 expresses protest regarding dispatching of the Russian military hardware and weapon in Tskhinvali [capital of breakaway South Ossetia] region.

The statement says that Russia violates OSCE Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe with the deployment of its heavy weaponry in the breakaway Region.

Russian Defense Ministry has dismissed Georgia’s accusations on February 4.

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