Passy called on the Georgian and South Ossetian sides to immediately implement the decisions of the Joint Control Commission on settling the Georgian-Ossetian conflict of June 2 and July 15, 2004, in particular, to remove unauthorized checkpoints, immediately withdraw from the conflict zone all paramilitary and police personnel not required for normal policing duties, and to demobilize local "self-defense" units.
Passy also stressed the necessity to organize as soon as possible a meeting of the Joint Control Commission to discuss further measures to achieve effective demilitarization in the area and in the meantime to encourage the technical expert group meeting in Tskhinvali to agree effective measures to control the situation and reduce tension.
Solomon Passy said that he would continue to closely monitor the situation. He reiterated his readiness to invite the parties to Sofia for a meeting at a high political level to discuss measures to achieve resolution of the conflict. "A meeting at this level has only been held once in the history of this conflict. It is high time now to resume," said the Chairman-in-Office.
Meanwhile, Georgy Khaindrava, the Georgian State Minister for Conflict Settlement, confirmed the information about the preparation for the Georgian Prime Minister's trip to the Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia as named by official Tbilisi) and a meeting with South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity.
By preliminary data, Zurab Zhvania intends to visit South Ossetia on August 4.
"The Georgian and Ossetian peoples do not want confrontation and conflict. A graphic example is the absence of any private clashes between Georgians and Ossetians for the last tense months," said the state minister.
In his opinion, such relations between the two nations testify to the lack of a conflict between them.
"Nobody is entitled to kindle the conflict on behalf of the nation and say that they act in the interests and on behalf of their nation," Khaindrava said.
