Akhsar Jioev: South Ossetia sees no prospect for bilateral negotiations with Georgia

South Ossetia sees no prospect for bilateral negotiations with Georgia in the near future; this was stated to Russian media by Akhsar Jioev, the acting "minister" of the occupied Tskhinvali region.

"As for the prospect of launching bilateral negotiations on equal terms between South Ossetia and Georgia in the near future, we do not currently see any prerequisites for this on Georgia's part. On the contrary, we regularly hear rhetoric from Tbilisi that echoes the slogans of the Gamsakhurdia-Saakashvili era. Unfortunately, Georgia is not yet ready to engage with us on the basis of equality," Jioev noted.

According to him, as long as regular meetings continue, there are grounds for optimism regarding a potential compromise—a process that requires "firm political will and a readiness for constructive dialogue from all participating parties."