Controversy surrounding EU representative’s statement continues

Georgia will address a controversial statement made by an EU special representative directly with EU leaders.

Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani will meet with Philippe Lefort, EU special representative for South Caucasus and a co-chair of the Geneva Discussion today to further clarify his controversial statement.

Zalkaliani said Lefort has not strictly denied his misleading statement surrounding the independence of South Ossetia.

"We are trying to advance the process, but the difference in opinions is great, especially about the status and it cannot be solved in a short-term period. However, this does not mean that there is no hope. On the contrary, I believe that with patience, common sense, compromise and reconciliation, we will be able to find a way to resolve the conflict," the EU special representative said.

"We listened to Philippe Leforts statement that he made yesterday [and] we watched video footage of his meeting with Tskhinvali representatives. After all this, I want to say that there is still confusion surrounding this topic. Even though he later expressed the EUs position regarding this issue, we could not hear Leforts strict denial of his controversial statement, Georgias Deputy Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said today.

Georgias Foreign Affairs Ministry instructed its EU representatives to inform EU leaders about the issue.

Leforts statement, published in Russian media yesterday, stated: "The status of South Ossetia as a virtually independent state has been determined by its people a long time ago. It is almost impossible to change this stance and this is the reality, with which it is necessary to learn to live and work.

A day after the statement was made Georgian diplomats said they were still confused about the message, despite Lefort later stating: "no one should distrust the European Union that it doesn't support Georgias territorial integrity.