Medvedev: Razor wire fences were not agreed with me

In the village Ditsi. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says that the installation of razor wire close to the so-called administrative border with South Ossetia was not agreed with the Kremlin.

In May, Russian soldiers moved a de facto border line around South Ossetia about 300 meters into Georgian-controlled territory and installed razor wire fences. Several houses and agricultural lands ended up on the other side, and there has since been an increase in Georgians being detained by the Russian soldiers patrolling the border and brought to the breakaway region’s center Tskhinvali.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Grigory Karasin, said the border-moving had been agreed with the government of Russia, but Medvedev now says that this was not the case.

In an interview with Georgian TV Channel Rustavi 2 five years after the Russia-Georgia war, Medvedev said the razor wire must be brought up with to the de facto authorities in South Ossetia.

“You must have negotiations with the government of Ossetia, as such decisions is the competence of the Ossetian government,” he said.

Medvedev also underlined that Russia is not planning to reconsider its recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia two and a half weeks after the war in August 2008.

“I made this decision. I think it is the only correct decision in this specific situation,” he added.

Addressing the future outlook, he said believes that there might be different scenarios, but any closer ties and any dialogue must be based on people’s will but not on military force.

“It is more important for us that there is peace in this region.”