Prevention of Georgian-Ossetian conflict to be discussed in Moscow

Moscow will host the meeting of the high-ranked officials within the framework of the Mixed Control Commission (MCC) on the settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.

Russian Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov and Georgian National Security Council Secretary Gela Bezhuashvili are expected to participate in the meeting.

Co-Chairman of the MCC on the Russian part is Mikhail Maiorov, on the Georgian part - Georgiy Khaindrava, on the North Ossetian part (Russia's autonomy) - Taimuraz Kusov and on the South Ossetian part (unrecognized republic) - Boris Chochiev.

Yesterday, when asked by one of the journalists, whether the Russian Security Council Secretary would conduct a special mission to Tskhinvali (the capital of South Ossetia) similar to his visit in the course of the Adzharian conflict, Igor Ivanov said that "there are no airports in Tskhinvali to receive a special flight." (In May 2004, during the boiling point of the confrontation between Batumi and Tbilisi, Russian Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov took a special flight to Adzharia and assisted in departure of Adzharian leader Aslan Abashidze from Batumi).

"Actually, the less special missions are conducted the better," Mr. Ivanov said.

According to him, as it goes for a routine visit he'll be ready to pay it as soon as the invitation is received.

Meanwhile, at the yesterday's conference with journalists Georgian National Security Council Secretary Gela Bezhuashvili gave his own interpretation of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili's speech delivered to graduates of the National Academy of the Georgian Defense Ministry. According to him, the Georgian President never meant aggression of behalf of Russia.

"The Army of any country should be always ready to resist any form of the outer aggression," Mr. Bezhuashvili said.

"Speaking about the situation in South Ossetia he meant that the Georgian part would never permit an access of mercenaries and other militants to the conflict zone, which had already been flooded with arms and ammo," Mr. Bezhuashvili noted.

When asked whether Mr. Saakashvili meant the aggression on behalf of Russia, Mr. Bezhuashvili denied the information flatly having responded that "undoubtedly the President never meant the aggression on Russia's part."

"Recruitment of mercenaries is prohibited in Russia by the rule of law. Moreover, there is no necessity to send there volunteer military corps since we do not speak about the preparations for the war, but about the solution of the issue by peaceful means," the Russian Security Council Secretary answered when asked by one of the journalists whether there were Russian mercenaries or volunteer military corps in the zone of the conflict.

Mr. Bezhuashvili in his turn stressed that that all cases concerning the appearance of armed people in the zone of the conflict have been repeatedly reported to Russia.

"We have to exchange information. Any appearance of armed people in the conflict zone will only promote the escalation of the situation," he said.

Addressing the graduates of the National Academy of the Georgian Defense Ministry on July 10, President Mikhail Saakashvili asked to prepare to the "full-fledged foreign aggression," and stated that "the Imperial forces on the Russian territory inspire the armed conflict in South Ossetia." "If the conflict should arise, it will be not Georgia's interior conflict, but the armed conflict between Georgia and Russia," Mr. Saakashvili said.