CoE Calls for Political Settlement of South Ossetian Conflict

In his statement issued on August 20 Jan Petersen, Norway’s Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) expressed concern over “the human suffering and loss of life caused by the latest developments in the conflict in South Ossetia.”

He called on the conflicting parties to tackle the problem at a high political level and hailed Tbilisi’s readiness to grant South Ossetian broad autonomy within a federal state of Georgia.

“The statement from the Office of the President of Georgia, expressing the readiness of the Georgian Government to offer South Ossetia broad autonomy within a federal Georgian state, including dual citizenship and power sharing at the central government level, is a positive signal,” said the Minister.
 
“I would like to reiterate the support of the Council of Europe for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its member state Georgia. I strongly urge all parties to respect the ceasefire and to exercise the utmost restraint in their actions and words,” said Foreign Minister Petersen.
 
Georgian authorities push the issue of discussion of the political status of the breakaway region with the separatist leader of South Ossetian Eduard Kokoev.