Georgia imposes economic blockade against South Osetia

The Georgian side rates all loads that comes through the Roksky tunnel from Russia and are conveyed to Georgia through the territory of South Osetia as contraband. The problem is that the Georgian side cannot organize an official custom house on the border between Georgia and South Osetia in order not to emphasize the existence of this border. Therefore all revenues from the loads conveyed as transit goods along the Transcaucasian highway are completely received by the South Osetian budget. In successful times these revenues were considerable. But they have visibly reduced lately, which has a negative effect on the republican economy.

So, the Georgian leadership has in fact imposed an economic blockade on South Osetia depriving it of the possibility to convey transit loads. At the same time, some remote Osetian villages situated in the Gori district are blockaded since police posts do not allow to convey essential foodstuff there, taking away even mineral water, cereals, and flour. The Georgian population living in the Gori and Khashuri districts, in Batumi and Borjomi objectively needs these goods. It is easier to convey loads to these regions through the Roksky tunnel then by the Military Georgian Road (through the Lars check-point). That is why a custom house, which is called the Gori custom house, was organized on the South Osetian border nevertheless.

President Mikhail Saakashvili promised to raise wages for customs officers and officers of the road patrol service and state traffic inspection. However this promise have not been fulfilled so far, which causes regular anticorruption operations. Their impartiality raises doubts since heads of the Shida Kartli region convey their own loads freely. In particular, Governor Mikhail Kareli reportedly interfered in one situation recently when the Gori customs officers did not let in a column of 18 trucks loaded with grain from Russia. After Mikhail Kareli's interference a column continued its way to Georgia freely.

The tense situation on May 31 was connected in particular with the position of the South Osetian side according to which police posts along the highway must be removed. The existence of these posts in the conflict zone breaks the regulations on peacekeeping forces and on the demilitarized zone. That is why the Osetian side has repeatedly expressed such a position in the course of meetings. But this position has not had the form of a demand, stated South Osetian Foreign Minister Murat Dzhioev. This issue had to be discussed during the meeting of the Combined Control Commission set for June 1. This meeting is expected on June 2 or 3 now, but the place where it will take place has not been specified yet. It will be either Tskhinval or Vladikavkaz, but in no way Tbilisi, as it was supposed before.