Woodcutters from Gremiskhevi: victims of mass deception

The news was represented in Georgia as if any Georgian has got the right to cross the border now as it had been before last August when the Akhalgori region was under control of the Georgian authorities and was part of the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region.

According to the media, during the meeting, representatives of the EU monitoring mission raised the issue of allowing the people to the cemeteries and churches located in the "occupied territory", as well as the issue of ensuring the citizens' safe movement.

On the same day, when the sensational news on the free access to South Ossetia went around Georgia, the Ossetian authorities denied it in the Russian media; however, this was not widely reported in the Georgian newspapers.

"No one is talking about canceling the current border crossing regime and establishing free crossing; this is total nonsense", - RIA Novosti was told by the South-Ossetian president's deputy ambassador for post-conflict settlement Merab Chigoev who headed the Ossetian delegation during negotiations in Ergneti.

As explained by Chigoev, since August 2008, a special pass control has been set up in this border section: the border may be crossed only by the citizens of the Leningorskiy region. The entrance to and the departure from the territory of South Ossetia is realized through the only check-point located at the border with Georgia.

It looks like the Georgian woodcutters turned out to be the victims of disinformation. The only point is the purpose of its dissemination: is it a reason for accusing Tskhinval?

Salome Batiani

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