"The peacekeeping force comprises Russian, Georgian and Ossetian units. This makes it unique and gives certain advantages. The Georgian side can wish the extension of the peacekeepers' mandate, however, it has never raised the question of our peacekeepers' withdrawal," Mr. Ivanov said.
According to him, for many years Georgian partners have been proposing new formats of negotiations on the conflict settlement, i. e. trilateral, quadrilateral and other formats involving the U.S. and European Union.
"However, the question is not the format but the wish to come to an agreement. This is Russia's position. Russia is ready to help Tbilisi and Tskhinvali solve their problems but it cannot replace the sides. Therefore, attempts to involve someone from the outside are counter-productive and will do no good," Igor Ivanov noted.
"Who in the U.S. knows where South Ossetia is? At the best case some experts," he said.
"Meanwhile, it does not mean that the U.S. cannot participate in the settlement. It is not ruled out that guarantee mechanisms or something like this are needed on a certain stage," Mr. Ivanov added.
"We hope the Georgian leadership will be wise enough not to shift the responsibility on to others but to hold direct negotiations with the interested sides," stressed the Russian Security Council Secretary.
The hot phase of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict dates back to 1989-1992 when Georgia deprived South Ossetia of its autonomy and carried out severe punitive operations against the republic, which proclaimed its independence. Peacekeepers were deployed in the conflict area in 1992. The mixed monitoring commission comprises Russian, Georgian, North and South Ossetian representatives controls the situation.
