As a result, the contacts and cooperation with the representatives of Ossetian society established owing to many years’ efforts of separate peace organizations or private persons broke off, the restored confidence vanished away, Tbilisi and Tskhinvali severed relations, vehicular traffic between Georgia and South Ossetia was blocked or became complicated and the situation almost returned to the initial point.

 

We adhere closely to our position:

 

Military confrontation between the Ossetes and the Georgians (as well as between the Abkhaz and the Georgians) should not be repeated.

 

We cherish hope for reconciliation between the Georgians and the Ossetes (and the Abkhaz), as no political and territorial integrity of Georgia can be realized without reconciliation. Restoration of territorial possessions by using force (even if it were possible) will undoubtedly make it impossible to provide the country’s internal integrity, peace and safety of people.

 

Therefore, it is necessary that aggressive rhetoric and actions of those Georgian authorities who do not have enough knowledge about ethnical and political conflicts and demonstrate sensitivity gap and lack of good will and perceptibility to the conflict should be restricted. Otherwise, we have to anticipate constant regress of Georgian-Ossetian (or Georgian-Abkhazian) relations entailing repeatable process of outrages and bloodsheds fraught with victims.

Peace policy of the Georgian government will have a desirable effect only in case if the Georgian, Ossetian and Abkhazian peoples put absolute trust in its authenticity. For purpose of clarity, the conflict should be evaluated from the ethical and historical point of view both on the part of the authorities and on the part of society. It is necessary that we, Georgians, as a titular nation of the country, should apologize for our failing to grasp the situation, we levied the war and failed to defend our compatriots.

 

The art of reconciliation implies the following: acknowledgement of guilt, making sincere apology, expressing good will and making attempts to relieve the adversary party from spiritual trauma. Only after that, one can suggest mutually useful, interesting and constructive cooperation, or another form of assistance, etc.

The art of reconciliation is a complex art and it should be learnt.

 

We, Georgians, must not forget that it is our responsibility to defend peaceful life of our fellow-countrymen.

 

2004