South Ossetia Talks Continue After Meeting in Moscow

Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava said after talks in Tskhinvali on July 19, “no serious progress will be made while the three Georgian soldiers remain detained by the South Ossetian side.”

Three Georgian peacekeepers, arrested by the South Ossetian militias on July 8, still remain in the custody of the de facto South Ossetian authorities. The Georgian State Minister said that Tbilisi demands the peacekeepers’ release without any conditions.

Goga Khaindrava also told reporters that fulfillment of a protocol singed in Moscow on July 16 was discussed during the talks, which include the Russian and North Ossetian sides along with Georgia and South Ossetia.

Russian Foreign Ministry’s special envoy Lev Mironov, who was also participating in talks, told reporters that the sides will appoint representatives in Tskhinvali in order to hold frequent consultations over the situation in the conflict zone, as envisaged by the July 16 protocol.