OSCE special envoy calls on all parties to Georgian-Ossetian conflict to resume political dialogue

TBILISI, 28 July 2004 - After extensive talks during a three-day visit to Georgia, the Special Envoy of the OSCE Chairmanship, former Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev, urged the resumption of dialogue to achieve a settlement to the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.

"I call on the parties to resume rapidly a meaningful political dialogue and to avoid the possibility of an outbreak of hostilities by exercising maximum restraint," Dr Zhelev said.

"Any future settlement should respect the territorial integrity of Georgia and the legitimate interest of all sides."

The Special Envoy held meetings in Tbilisi with Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili, the Speaker of Parliament, Nino Burjanadze, Foreign Minister Salome Zurabichvili, and the State Minister for Conflict Resolution, George Khaindrava.

In Tskhinvali, he met Boris Chochiev, Ossetian Co-Chairman of the Joint Control Commission (JCC), Znaur Gassiev, the "Speaker of the Parliament" and the Commander of the Joint Peacekeeping Force (JPKF), Major-General Svjatoslav Nabzdorov.

In all his meetings, Dr. Zhelev expressed the concern of the Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, about the recent deterioration of the situation in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone. He urged all parties to implement the relevant commitments, reached in the framework of the negotiation process, including the decisions of the 14-15 July Moscow JCC meeting.

In this context, Dr. Zhelev welcomed the willingness expressed by President Saakashvili to discuss with the South Ossetian side any form of constitutional status. In addition, both Georgian and South Ossetian leaders shared with the OSCE Special Envoy a number of ideas for enhancing the role of the OSCE in achieving an early, peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Dr. Zhelev expressed his satisfaction at the fact that everyone with whom he had spoken underlined their commitment to the peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and compromise: "All stressed their intent to avoid armed confrontation," he said.

The Special Envoy returns today to Sofia where he will report on the results of his discussions to the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, who remains focused on this issue.