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What to Be Changed in Georgian-Ossetian and Georgian-Abkhazian Relations Besides the Name of State Ministry for Reconciliation and Civic Equality

January 15, 2014
 
Lado Bichashvili, Shida Kartli

Formerly, State Ministry for Reintegration Issues changed its name. Now its name is State Ministry for Reconciliation and Civic Equality with Paata Zakareishvili as state minister. Tskhinvali de-facto government has already made initial assessments about the changes. They are not going to review relations with Georgia until Georgia recognizes their independence. 

Boris Chochiev, head of de-facto government’s administration: “No matter who is in the Government of Georgia, what the names of the president, ministers and ministries are. Georgia wants to misappropriate lands of South Ossetia, to evict our Ossetian people from our homeland. Whatever proposal Georgia will offer to us, it is categorically inadmissible for us to discuss them.  I considered Paata Zakareishvili as more foresighted political scientist and realistic politician.”

State Minister Paata Zakareishvili positively evaluated the statements made in Tskhinvali. The minister called on the de-facto authority to sit at the negotiation table. “It is nice; I like their reactions. It is evident that their arguments are reducing. Until now they stated that the name of the ministry was unacceptable for them. So, we have taken right direction. We call on them to sit at the negotiation table and speak on urgent issues. We have much more questions than recognition/non-recognition. Many problems shall be resolved.”

Local political scientists and conflict scientists have different opinions about the changed name of the state ministry. Parliamentary minority expects clarifications from the prime minister. Conflict scientists are interested why more neutral name was selected for the ministry.

Humanrights.ge interviewed representatives of local civil society organizations in Gori and asked their opinions about the new name of the Ministry for Reconciliation and Civic Equality.  Journalist Goga Aptsiauri, who is a member of the Georgian-Ossetian civic dialogue, positively assessed the changed name of the ministry and clarified that after those changes Ossetian participants of the dialogue started speaking more openly about the problems in the healthcare and social fields in Tskhinvali. According to Aptsiauri’s observation, after the new government came in office in Georgia, less and less people are afraid in Tskhinvali that new Georgian government will use force against Tskhinvali. The request of the local politicians to sign agreement on the non use of force is also issue of politics. “Nobody believes that Georgia will choose militarization way and launch new war. [Ossetian] people had serious problem about the old name of the Ministry. They asked why “reintegration” when conflict was not resolved yet. Change in the name is sort of message to them that we want reconciliation, that we acknowledge conflict with them, and that we refuse to resolve this conflict through armed conflict and try to reconcile in peace.”

Western countries also recommended Georgia to restore relations with conflicted regions as its main priority. EU funded several projects in the villages close to the ABL that aimed at contact building between Georgian and Ossetian peoples. Small markets were opened in the frame of the projects that established economic bridges between Georgian and Ossetian peoples. Projects failed because negotiation between Georgian government and de-facto government of South Ossetia also failed. Years have passed but economic relation is still a challenge for rebuilding trust and bridges between Georgian and Ossetian peoples. 

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