PEACE IN GEORGIA

“All roads lead to the Roki tunnel: the war started on provocative territory “
11 September 2008
http://newsru.com/russia/11sep2008/voshli.html

The regiment, which has a permanent place of deployment in the village Prokhladni near Nalchik, was posted in Nizhny Zaramag after the exercises (2 August), writes Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star). Nizhny Zaramag is located a few kilometers from the Roki tunnel’s northern entrance. A checkpoint and customs post are located in this village. Russia and Georgia have different views as to whom the Roki tunnel belongs to. The Roki pass includes the Roki tunnel; an essential part of the Transcaucasian road. The Roki tunnel is the only connection linking South and North Ossetia. The Mamisoni pass is, in fact, the border between Georgia and Russia. These are extremely important strategic places from a military point of view. A regiment of the 58th Army was located in close proximity to this border, in the city of Zaramag close to the Transcaucasus roadway, and was able to cross the border of South Ossetia in the shortest time.
On August 7, the Russian regiment received an order to move towards Tskhinvali. It was set on alert and before nightfall reached the positions prescribed. By midnight it was possible to see the outbreak of shelling in Tskhinvali from where regiment was located.
Between the Roki Tunnel and Tskhinvali there is only one such place [to see the shelling of Tskhinvali] : the village of Djava. So, the 135th regiment entered South Ossetia before the Georgian attack on Tskhinvali.
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UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL
August 28, 2008
UN Webcast Archive
5969th Meeting (PM)

SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED BY POLITICAL AFFAIRS, PEACEKEEPING ON GEORGIA DEVELOPMENTS,
INCLUDING 26 AUGUST RECOGNITION DECREES ON ABKHAZIA, SOUTH OSSETIA
Russian Federation Reads Out Decrees to Council;
Georgia Says Declarations Illegal, Country Invaded, But Not Defeated

Statements

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IRAKLI ALASANIA ( Georgia) said he appreciated the convening of the meeting and thanked the Secretariat for the updates on the situation. He said the request for a meeting of the Council had been necessitated by the illegal unilateral act of the Russian Federation concerning South Ossetia and Abkhazia. On 26 August, a decree had been made by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in which he referred to the two regions as republics, in violation of the principles of respect for the territorial integrity of States. The Russian Federation’s action was, therefore, contrary to the very principles and values on which the United Nations was founded. The Russian Federation, a member of the Security Council, had interfered in the principles of the inviolability of States and their territorial integrity, and its illegal and unilateral action had already come under condemnation by the international community. Now, the Russian Federation must be sent the strongest message by the Security Council so as to ensure other separatist elements in the world did not misread the message about such action.

 

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