Tskhinvali, 30 September: PACE should discuss Georgian aggression against South Ossetia, not the (August 2008) war between Georgia and Russia, Boris Chochiyev, the South Ossetian president's representative on post-conflict settlement, has said.

"PACE, whose representatives visited South Ossetia on a lot of occasions both before the Georgian aggression and after it, saw and knew everything full well. However, continuing anti-Russian hysteria, they are setting some obscure deadlines for Russia to allow EU monitors to enter South Ossetian territory," Chochiyev told Interfax commenting on the resolution passed at the PACE meeting last Tuesday (29 September).

He noted that "if PACE wants to hear the truth, South Ossetian and Abkhaz representatives should speak at its rostrum and it is us that PACE should address with the request to cooperate with EU monitors".

"I would advise PACE members to concentrate again on the Medvedev-Sarkozy agreement, which clearly says that EU observers should carry out monitoring on Georgian territory adjacent to the borders of South Ossetia," Chochiyev stressed.

Speaking about issues linked to humanitarian aid, Chochiyev noted that "neither South Ossetia nor Russia hinder humanitarian aid".

"Why are international organizations and countries, who can see what the (Georgian President Mikheil) Saakashvili's regime did in South Ossetia, moving to the foreground the problem of recognition, but do not follow the example of Russia that is rendering significant aid to the people of South Ossetia? On the contrary, they are convincing the world community that South Ossetia has refused to accept aid," Chochiyev said.

He also noted that all refugees have the right to return. "However, we will be able to consider the problem of their return, when refugees will not be divided by their ethnic origin," he stressed.

He believes that "Russia was and continues to be the guarantor of peace and stability in South Ossetia".

"According to the memorandum signed in 1996 with OSCE's involvement, Russia committed itself to being a guarantor in case of aggression against South Ossetia and it has fulfilled its obligations. The earlier people in PACE, the UN General Assembly, and other international organizations realize that it is necessary to speak with us directly, the easier it will be to resolve the problems mentioned in the resolution. There are forms of cooperation with independent countries and they should be observed," Chochiyev stressed.

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