Tbilisi Pledges to Pull out Extra Troops from South Ossetia

Georgian Defense Minister Giorgi Baramidze said on November 10 that the Georgian side is ready to pull out its extra forces from the South Ossetian conflict zone, as envisaged in an agreement signed by Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania and South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoev on November 5 in Sochi.

Recent developments in South Ossetia were discussed at a Georgian cabinet session on November 10.

Giorgi Baramidze said that overnight shootings towards the Georgian villages occur “in the conflict zone on a daily bases.” “This happens in order to intimidate the local Georgian population,” he added.

He said that because of the sporadic shootouts the Georgian side has deployed its forces across the border with the breakaway region, in order to protect the local population. “When the demilitarization process is launched, we will pull out these troops,” Giorgi Baramidze said.

The main provisions of this agreement include the pull out of non-peacekeeping forces from the conflict zone before November 20; free movement of goods and people; cooperation of law enforcement agencies and the launching of discussions over joint economic projects.

State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava briefed the Georgian cabinet on November 10 regarding his recent talks with South Ossetian representatives in capital Tskhinvali on November 9.

He said that de facto President of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoev will bear the responsibility in the event that South Ossetia fails to pull out its forces from the conflict zone.