U.S. calls on Russia to remove boundary fences in South Ossetia
By Nazrin Gadimova
The U.S. believes that Russia should remove the barriers dividing line of South Ossetia with Georgia, U.S. State Department Deputy Spokeswoman Marie Harf told journalists on October 2.
"We note with concern the continued and increasing activities by Russian security forces to erect fences and other physical barriers along the administrative boundary lines of the occupied territories in Georgia.
"This borderization is inconsistent with Russia's international commitments and Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. Borderization also damages trust between the sides, creates hardship for Georgian citizens on either side of the boundary line, and we would call on the Russian Federation to remove the barriers and to address issues related to the conflict in Georgia at the Geneva international discussion," Harf said.
Earlier, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged the Russian government to reverse its decision on recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Moreover, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton expressed serious concern about the continuation and intensification of construction of fences along the administrative dividing line between the territory governed by Georgia's central government and Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions by Russian security forces and other structures.
As the Georgian Interior Ministry reported earlier, the Russian forces continue the preparatory work for the construction of fences in the Dvani village of the Kareli region.
Georgia and Russia, its giant northern neighbor, have maintained no diplomatic relations since a brief war in 2008. Tbilisi broke off relations with Moscow in August 2008 when Moscow crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over two rebel regions -- South Ossetia and Abkhazia -- and later recognized the regions. Georgia announced the two unrecognized republics as occupied territories in September 2008.