Washington -- The United States is disturbed by ongoing provocations by South Ossetian authorities but pleased that the latest talks over the South Ossetia conflict have resulted in some positive developments, according to a U.S. diplomat.

The United States also welcomes the March 31 agreement between Russia and Georgia on the withdrawal of Russian forces from two military bases in Georgia, said Kyle Scott, charge d’affaires of the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Europe’s largest security and human rights body.  He spoke during a meeting April 6 of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, Austria.

The provocations of concern to the United States involve the presence of heavy military weapons and equipment within the so-called “zone of conflict” contrary to agreements that ended fighting in the 1990s, he said.

South Ossetia was an autonomous political subdivision of Georgia during the Soviet era, declaring independence within the Soviet Union in September 1990. Open warfare began in January 1991 and continued until June 1992. Georgia declared independence in April 1991 and later signed a cease-fire agreement with Russian and South Ossetian representatives, the 1992 Sochi Agreement, which established a cease-fire between the Georgian and South Ossetian forces and defined both a zone of conflict around the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali and a security corridor along the border of South Ossetian territories. (See State Department fact sheet on South Ossetian conflict.)

At the OSCE, Scott said the South Ossetian authorities “are showing a patent disregard for the Sochi and other agreements, which clearly state that there must be no heavy equipment in the zone of conflict.”

He called on the South Ossetian authorities to “cease and desist” from actions that violate the Sochi and other agreements.

The Sochi Agreement also created a peacekeeping body under Russian command, the Joint Peacekeeping Forces group (JPKF), comprised of peacekeepers from Georgia, Russia and Russia’s North Ossetian autonomous republic.

Scott criticized the tardy response of the JPKF to the latest provocation as “clearly unacceptable,” adding, “The JPKF response to the incident casts considerable doubt on the ability, or willingness, of that force to act responsibly and impartially.”

“These kinds of provocations must stop,” he said. “There can be no hope for a peaceful solution of the conflict with this kind of behavior.”

Scott said the United States was pleased with the “positive developments” in recent talks held in Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia, under the auspices of the Joint Control Commission (JCC), another entity created by the 1992 Sochi Agreement. The JCC is co-chaired by the Georgian, Russian Federation, North Ossetian and South Ossetian sides, with the OSCE participating as a monitor and facilitator.

He welcomed the decision to form a working group on the peaceful settlement of the conflict based on Georgia’s peace plan and a subsequent initiative by South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity.

In January 2005, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili proposed an autonomous status within Georgia for South Ossetia, which borders on the Russian Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli presented a peace plan to the OSCE in October 2005. (See related article.)

Scott also welcomed the decisions to examine joint policing opportunities, to task a committee with drafting a priority-ordered list of mutually agreed projects and to hold the next JCC by the end of April.

But he expressed regret that the JCC co-chairs could not agree on a common position on confidence-building measures, security guarantees, and demilitarization.  Noting that Georgia has unilaterally announced it will start demilitarization measures, he urged the South Ossetian authorities to adopt “a similarly constructive approach.”

Scott said the March 31 agreement between Russia and Georgia on the withdrawal of Russian forces from two military bases is “welcome news” and “an important step” toward Russia’s fulfillment of commitments it made at the 1999 Istanbul Summit.

The OSCE chairman-in-office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, also welcomed the agreement between Russia and Georgia. "This agreement marks significant progress in the talks between the Russian Federation and Georgia, and is a way forward in the establishment of good neighborly relations between the two countries," De Gucht said April 7.

Under the agreement, Russia pledges to complete its withdrawal from the military base in Akhalkalaki by 2007 and to close the military base in Batumi by 2008.

The full text (PDF, 2 pages) of Scott’s statement is available on the USOSCE Web site.