“The dialogue between Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Georgia may move forward given Tbilisi’s recognition of the aggression against Tskhinvali,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
According to her, the Georgian government’s recognition of its mistakes and the aggression it carried out is a necessary condition for reconciliation.
“There is a possibility that the negotiations will move forward given that the Georgian government has publicly recognized the fact of aggression against South Ossetia by Mikheil Saakashvili over the past year, and has also made statements about the need for reconciliation with the Abkhazians and South Ossetians. It is important that these statements by the Georgian leadership become decisive in Tbilisi’s approaches to establishing relations with Sokhumi and Tskhinvali, and also be translated into concrete practical actions,” Khazarova said regarding the August 2008 war.
She said that concluding a legally binding agreement on the non-use of force against Georgia-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali remains among the top priorities of the negotiation process. Zakharova noted that Russia is ready to facilitate these processes.
