Georgian-Ossetian Talks To Resume
March 27, 2006
March 27, 2006 -- The Joint Control Commission (JCC) in charge of monitoring the implementation of the 1992 Georgian-South Ossetian cease-fire agreement meets today in Vladikavkaz, the capital of Russia's republic of North Ossetia.
Georgia says it wants the two-day meeting to examine steps to further demilitarize the conflict zone and to discuss its own proposals to settle its sovereignty dispute with South Ossetia.
The JCC is made up of representatives from Georgia, Russia, South Ossetia, and North Ossetia.
Last week, South Ossetia's leader Eduard Kokoity said he would appeal to Russia's Constitutional Court with a view toward obtaining a ruling that his republic can merge with the Russian Federation. Georgia has dismissed Kokoity's statement, saying it should not be taken seriously.
South Ossetia forcibly won de facto independence from Georgia in the early 1990s.
(Civil Georgia, Novosti-Gruziya)