Helsinki Citizens' Assembly National Committee of Georgia addresses South Osetian NGOs

Helsinki Citizens' Assembly National Committee of Georgia has sent out its appeal to South Osetian non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The appeal was caused by a number of statements issued by President of the Republic of South Osetia Eduard Kokoity at a press conference in Moscow. In his speech, the South Osetian president announced that the South Osetian side broke off any relations with Georgia until the latter met a series of conditions. The Committee raises its concern about rough attempts to unfreeze the Abkhazian and South Osetian conflicts, which can entail new victims. In light of it, the Committee offers all the sides to be constructive about the situation that has arisen. In particular, it offers the Georgian leadership to support Eduard Kokoity's proposals concerning the adoption of the law on restitution and to make an adequate political assessment of the developments of 1989-1992 on the level of the Georgian parliament.

Petr Gassiyev, the adviser to the South Osetian president on the work with NGOs and foreign missions, rates this proposal as the continuation of Georgia's present policy towards South Osetia. "The statement of Helsinki Citizens' Assembly National Committee of Georgia is evidence that following the policy of a humanitarian storm, the Georgian leadership seriously counts on NGOs, especially because there is a base for it. South Osetian NGOs have actively cooperated with Georgian NGOs over the last years. There's no doubt that this statement is very progressive. I mean the readiness to support Mr Kokoity's proposal concerning the adoption of the law on restitution and the readiness to make an adequate political assessment of the developments of 1989-1992. NGOs are taking a major step forward as compared to official Tbilisi. But one shouldn't create illusions about what an assessment the Georgian leadership will make. It's clear it'll be a negative assessment, but towards the authorities of that times. The present leadership will only benefit against such a background, thought the reality is that it has achieved only the worsening of the Georgian-Osetian relations for the last six months," Mr Gassiyev said.

The appeal, signed by coordinator of the Committee Aleksandr Rusetsky, ends with an appeal to leaders of all NGOs to stir up their peacekeeping activity, to make a general political assessment of these conflicts, and to take immediate measures for the creation of the common strategy of going out of the crisis.