Georgia Outlines Demands at South Ossetia Talks

Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava, who represents the Georgian side at talks over the breakaway South Ossetia in Moscow, said that Tbilisi demands both to set up a checkpoint at the Roki Pass linking South Ossetia with Russia and the pull out of militia groups from the Java district in the breakaway region.

?It is very important for us to control the Roki Pass,? Russian media sources reported quoting Goga Khaindrava as saying.

Georgian authorities claim that smuggled goods and weapons are delivered to the breakaway region through the tunnel at the Roki Pass, which links Russia?s North Ossetian Republic with its neighboring self-styled South Ossetian Republic.

Goga Khaindrava also told reporters that Tbilisi insists on ?demilitarization of the conflict zone.?

?Mercenaries must leave the Java district. We will not tolerate the presence of an unauthorized heavy armament nor armored vehicles in the conflict zone either,? he added.

?We came here [in Moscow] to secure peace in the region. The key is in Moscow,? Goga Khaindrava said.

The Russian and South Ossetian sides both demand that Georgia pull out its extra troops from the conflict zone. Russia claims that around 3,000 Georgian troops are stationed there at the moment, however officials in Tbilisi deny this report.