Tbilisi, Tskhinvali Resume Talks

The Georgian and South Ossetian sides will resume talks in frames of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC) on October 24-25 in Moscow, amid a dispute over the current, Russian-led negotiating format.

This will be the first meeting between the conflicting sides since the September 20 mortar attack on the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali, which resulted in the injury of about ten civilians. The Russian and South Ossetian sides accuse Tbilisi of this incident, while the latter denies these allegations.

Conflicting positions, voiced by officials in Tskhinvali and Tbilisi on the eve of this meeting, indicate that no breakthrough is anticipated from these talks in Moscow. Tbilisi seeks a change in the current negotiating format through the active engagement of the international organizations and the U.S. while Russian-backed Tskhinvali insists that the quadripartite JCC is “the only effective mechanism” for the peace process.

President Saakashvili told Reuters on October 20 that the United States plans to propose new peace initiatives in December to help Georgia peacefully resolve the South Ossetian conflict.

He said these new initiatives will be presented at the annual OSCE Ministerial Council, which is scheduled for December 5-6 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. “For the first time in post-Soviet history, the U.S. will be part of the peace-making process – will be part of the negotiations,” Mikheil Saakashvili said.

“[The U.S. role] is something very crucial to us, not because the Americans can solve it alone… It means … [we have] somebody at the table who could basically convince … Russia that peace-making pays off … we are working closely with the Americans on our peace plan and with the Russians on our peace plan,” Saakashvili added.

Currently Georgia is alone at the negotiating table facing the South Ossetian, Russian and Russia’s North Ossetian sides in frames of the quadripartite JCC.

But South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity said in an interview with news agency RIA Novosti on October 21 that during the forthcoming session of the JCC in Moscow the South Ossetia side will defend the current format of negotiations.
 
“It should be clarified what makes Georgia insist on increasing the number of participants in the quadripartite JCC, as well as on increasing the role of OSCE, as of a participant in the negotiating process. Moreover, as far as I know, the Georgian side will offer to involve the United States as an observer,” Kokoity said.

“This initiative by the Georgian side is unacceptable, as the U.S. and OSCE politics in respect of a solution to the South Ossetian problem is stained by double-standards,” the South Ossetian leader added.

The OSCE, which helps gather information on the military situation in the conflict zone, as well as examines violations of the cease-fire agreement through its branch office in the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali and its monitors there, has been criticized by both sides. Tbilisi complains that OSCE failed to play an active role in helping to resolve the conflict, while Tskhinvali accuses the organization of a biased assessment of the situation in the conflict zone.

On October 17 the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Moscow and, along with issues related with the reform of the OSCE, discussed South Ossetia. The two ministers express support for the work of the JCC, according to the OSCE press-office. During his visit to Moscow, Dimitrij Rupel also met with South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity.

Analysts in Georgia say that no drastic changes are anticipated in respect of the situation in the South Ossetian conflict zone before December, when, as President Saakashvili said, the U.S. plans to propose its peaceful initiative.