"Consultations are underway for the prospective conference," Georgi Khaindrava, Georgia's State Minister for Conflict Settlement, said to Novosti in a telephone interview.
Georgia has officially proposed the conference, and had talks on the matter with an administration spokesman of the Tskhinvali Region-Georgia's official name for the breakaway republic, he said with emphasis.
The Parties have not yet agreed on a venue, day and details. Nevertheless, the Georgian top hopes even now that the conference will gather, despite all, and be a success, Vano Merabishvili, Georgia's State Security Minister, said in Tbilisi today.
Boris Chochiev, South Osset co-chair of a joint control commission for Georgian-Osset conflict settlement, is more sceptical. He does not think the conference may gather soon.
"Georgia lacks true statesmanship in its approach to the issue. They have not duly notified us on official channels. Zhvania must see that he will sit in conference with the President of a sovereign country-not one of the Georgian governors," the South Osset official said to Novosti on the phone.
As the recalcitrant republic sees the matter, the conference will be out of the question before Georgia pulls its armed units out of the conflict zone as the troops have no control commission mandate, he stressed.
South Ossetia has no political contacts with Georgia except long and vain talks on the joint control commission and under the OSCE aegis. The self-proclaimed republic firmly insists on its independence from Georgia.
Meanwhile, Georgia's acting Constitution does not as much as mention South Ossetia. As it proclaimed independence, the Georgian parliament hit back with abolishing its autonomy. That was back during the rule of Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Georgia's first post-Soviet president.
