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Wednesday,
August 1,
2007, #145 (1412) By Christina Tashkevich
The EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus hopes Tbilisi's launch of the South Ossetia status determination commission will yield good results. However, Peter Semneby adds, the Georgian government must ensure inclusive dialogue in the commission if it wants to work its way out of a "stalemate" in the resolution process. South Ossetia is currently represented in the commission by the Tbilisi-backed temporary administrative unit based in the village of Kurta. Tbilisi has extended invitations to both Russia and the EU to sit on the commission, which is chaired by Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli. "It's too early to say what it will mean in practical terms, because we will need to consider concrete proposals and actual modalities," Semneby told journalists from leading English-language news sources. "If the purpose here is to work out autonomy status, restore the autonomy of South Ossetia, [then] in terms of giving advice on various pieces of legislation the international community, not only the EU, but also others-Council of Europe, Venice Commission-are in a good position to assist." Semneby came to Georgia last week to meet with new State Minister for Conflict Resolution Davit Bakradze, and to discuss the EU's contribution to confidence-building measures to resolve conflicts in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. "Bakradze has a very strong vision of Georgia as a European country, a country with a very strong European location," Semneby said, describing the new minister. The EU official expressed his concern about the current "stalemate" in the conflict resolution process. "There is very little going on in terms of contact between the parties," Semneby said. Incidents like the helicopter attack on Tbilisi-controlled upper Kodori Gorge on March 11 further escalated the situation. "Whatever the exact circumstances….it was a serious and quite dangerous attack that could have had very far-reaching consequences," Semneby said. Looking at the South Ossetia conflict, Semneby said the negotiation are at an impasse largely due to the existence of two parallel administrations-the de facto government in Tskhinvali, and the Kurta administration. Semneby acknowledges that Russia has a "big role" to play in both Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia needs to be part of any solution, he says. "There are clearly different interests involved in there …and these should, in the end, be brought together in one way or another," he said. "Restoring a sensible dialogue" is Semneby's hoped-for stratagem in the conflict zones. However, he is sure that confidence-building measures are necessary to help the process along. One step there
would be making sure that "people in the conflict region do not
have to continue to live in a kind of debilitating isolation."
Direct interaction between the conflict regions and Georgia is another
step; Semneby mentions infrastructure improvement: by building roads,
Tbilisi could be building resolution.
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Conflict settlement
negotiations at a "stalemate," says Semneby
