Georgia refuses to remove checkpoint from South-Ossetian border

During the negotiations in the village of Tsnelis, representatives of South Ossetia failed to provide any reasoned arguments that the checkpoint in the border zone should be removed, the head of the State Security Service (SSS) of Georgia has stated. In its turn, South Ossetia will continue striving for fulfilment of its demand to liquidate the checkpoint, the presidential plenipotentiary for post-conflict settlement has assured.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that border patrols have been deployed in the vicinity of the South-Ossetian village of Tsnelis, near which the Georgian militaries had built a checkpoint. Georgia has violated the border, the South-Ossetian Parliament has declared. In the opinion of Mamuka Areshidze, a political analyst, believes that this statement is a tactical move made in response to Georgia's claims over the bordering.

On August 30, officials from Georgian authorities held a meeting with their South-Ossetian counterparts, the Georgian Public Broadcaster has reported.

Kakha Kemoklidze, the head of the office of the Georgia's National Security Council, has explained that the parties' positions remain "diametrically opposite"; however, they decided to try resolving all the tensions through a constructive dialogue.

Georgia is trying to maintain its territorial integrity and not succumb to provocations, Tamar Chugoshvili, a Vice-Speaker, said on air of the "Imedi" TV Company.

"Georgians, Russians and Ossetians live in our society; and all of them will be under our protection," Anatoly Bibilov, the head of South Ossetia, said in his turn, having assured that he "would never fight" with Georgia.