Answers of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the RSO

- How do you assess the activities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs prior to your appointment? Which areas in the department you wish to strengthen and what measures you are going to do about it?

-The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has done a great job over the years. I think that all necessary actions have been carried out at each stage by the Foreign Ministry.

Georgian mass media has started again to bring up the question of delivering of so-called neutral passports to the residents of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by Georgian authorities these days. It has been reported about extremely negative reaction of Abkhazian authorities to the attempts of some international organizations working in Abkhazia to distribute these passports among the residents of Abkhazia. The reporter of ‘RES’ Agency asked the Republic of South Ossetia Minister for Foreign Affairs Murat Jioev to comment the problem of ‘neutral’ passports.

On the statement of President of Georgia`s Press-Speaker Manana Mandjgaladze

President of Georgia`s Press-Speaker Manana Mandjgaladze announced that restoration of diplomatic ties between Georgia and Russia would only take place after closing of ‘embassies illegally opened’ in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The reporter of News Agency ‘PEC’ asked Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Murat Dzhioev to give comments on this statement.

Question. Joint NATO-Georgia conference is being held in Tbilisi. The main subject of the conference is joint plans of Georgia with North-Atlantic Alliance. In your opinion what such a close collaboration of NATO and Georgia can result in?

A number of bilateral agreements between the Republic of South Ossetia and the Russian Federation were concluded. What is their effect?

Tomorrow on 28 May by tradition South Ossetia Diplomacy Day is marked in the Republic of South Ossetia. The appearance of this remarkable day is connected with the fact that on 28 May 1992 the first Government of the RSO was formed at the session of Supreme Soviet of the Republic of South Ossetia. And the Ministry of Foreign Relationships was a part of it. The Ministry of Foreign Relationships was a prototype of present-day Ministry of Foreign Affairs. By tradition we have been marking South Ossetia Diplomacy Day since then.

Question: There is information on ‘Wikileakes’ site confirming that it was President of Georgia M. Saakashvily who unleashed hostilities in August 2008. But at the same time the authorities of Georgia keep on accusing Russia of military aggression against Georgia and consider South Ossetia to be an occupied territory. Your commentary.

The President of Georgia Saakashvili during a live televised address on PIK channel Tuesday made statements that are completely controversial to his previous statement at European Parliament that Georgia will not resort to military force against Abkhazia and South Ossetia. He said “we are in state of war” and that’s why I believe that Saakashvili has rejected himself the recent statement that Georgia will not use force against South Ossetia and Abkhazia. This should be a lesson for those who rely on this statement.

Decision of European court of rejection of citizens of the Republic of South Ossetia and relatives of Russian peacekeepers claims against Georgia is an unfair act and confirmation of unbiased attitude of this honorable European organization towards human rights.

Question: How do you estimate the decision of the International UN Court pertaining the Kosovo status problem?

Answer. Notwithstanding the fact that decision of International UN Court is of consultative character, it creates certain internationally legal precedent. It is crucially important to underline, that the court marked only the Declaration of proclamation of independence itself. However, on my opinion, this decision may be considered as an indirect recognition of Kosovo independence, what will push other states to its recognition.

Question: Please comment the statement of US State secretary Hillary Clinton that “Washington will go on try for de-occupation of Georgian territories”.