S. Ossetia demands faster work on non-use of force accord at Geneva consultations
TSKHINVALI. Nov 7 (Interfax) - Tskhinvali officials proposed intensifying the work on an agreement that would ban Georgia from using military force against South Ossetia at the 25th round of consultations on security and stability in Transcaucasia in Geneva on November 6, head of South Ossetia's delegation to the event Murat Dzhioyev told Interfax over the phone.
"An appropriate draft was proposed by the South Ossetian delegation in 2009. South Ossetia's delegation suggested that the participants in the discussions should adopt a statement reaffirming their commitment to the non-use of force principle as an important step toward securing a legally binding agreement," Dzhioyev said.
The work on this statement continued over several rounds of the Geneva-based consultations, he said.
"However, given the Georgian delegation's unconstructive position, the statement was not adopted at the latest round," he added.
During discussions addressing the situation near South Ossetia's border with Georgia, the Tskhinvali delegation presented documents proving the absence of any violations at the border on the part of Tskhinvali, Dzhioyev said.
"All the measures have been taken in strict compliance with the laws of the Republic of South Ossetia, and they have not affected the territory and sovereignty of Georgia in any way,' he said.
"The latest round also addressed humanitarian issues linked with security, including the problem of missing persons, the fate of South Ossetian citizens who were illegally convicted in Georgia and violations of the rights of South Ossetian residents planning to travel abroad," he said.
The next round of the Transcaucasia security and stability consultations in Geneva has been tentatively set for December.