Represented on the quadripartite commission for Georgian-Ossetian conflict settlement are Russia, Georgia and the two Ossetias-North, an autonomy within Russia, and South, formerly Georgian autonomy and now an unrecognized republic.
"The Georgian demarche deliberately undermines commission efforts and aims, in the final analysis, to destroy the commission as peacemaking body, and remove peacekeeping forces from the conflict zone," South Ossetian commission members say in a statement that appeared on the web site of the republican Press and Information Committee.
"Georgia has chosen ultimatums and intimidation for its tactics to bring to naught many years' efforts to overcome the dire fruit of the 1989-92 armed conflict. It has brought into a deadlock problems essential not only to the conflict zone population but to the stability cause in the entire Caucasus.
"South Ossetia hopes for all who are interested in stronger Caucasian peace and stability to duly evaluate the Georgian stance, which appear all the worse in the context of other Georgian official moves to escalate tensions through trespassing available understandings for Georgian-Ossetian settlement.
"Despite the current developments, South Ossetia confirms its goodwill to carry on settlement efforts within the established format of the Mixed Control Commission," says the statement.
The commission had appointed a session for June 30. Georgia refused to attend and made an ultimatum for South Ossetia to release its State Security Ministry officers suspected of espionage for Georgia. As Georgian authorities see the matter, the men's detention is illegal as they were seized in their own country-Georgia regards South Ossetia as its inalienable part, though the split appears irreversible.
