Maia Chigoeva-Tsaboshvili: “Georgians and Ossetians are predestined for living together”

The head of the non-governmental organization Iber-Rioni, Maia Chigoeva is currently an emigrant in Cadana, but, as she states with the Human Rights Center, she doesn’t want to openly talk about her emigrant experience to avoid the undesirable interpretations. One thing is clear – like Gocha Dzasokhov, Leri Khabelov and Arsen Kasabiev, Maia Tsaboshvili-Chigoevi could not live in “revolutionary Georgia.”

-    Mrs. Maia, there’s often a talk about the current population of South Ossetia. Do you have any information?

-    According to Kokoit’s statement made during the last year’s election of de facto Parliament, 55 000 voters participated in the election. Approximately 30 000 people didn’t participate, so the entire number of population is about 80 000. This number is quite unrealistic. In my opinion, realistically, the population of South Ossetia must be about 20-30 thousands.

-    There are ethnically Ossetian citizens who don’t want to turn back to Georgia. While talking with us, they noted that because of the pain and hurt inflicted by Georgians, they don’t want to integrate with Georgia. More, they state, that Georgians must finally put up with the South Ossetia as a separate country. What do you think, is this attitude temporary or?...

-    There’s an expression: “Never say never.” Only two years have been passed since the 2008 August war. The wounds have not been healed yet. The conflict in 1990s has not been less severe, but, after a while Georgian and Ossetians still found peace. I always say: Georgians and Ossetians are predestined for living together – with the best understanding of these words!

Though the independence of South Ossetia was recognized by Russia (and some other countries), if Georgia is led by government who has a will and an ability to solve the conflict only by democratic and peaceful means, then things can be restored.

-    The State Minister for Reintegration Temur Iakobashvili commented on Geneva discussions: “Who shall we negotiate with, Chochiev? Shall we make fun of ourselves?!” And you are talking about diplomacy?

-    I respect Mr. Temur, but many of his statements resulted in bad works. When you are not speaking diplomatically and let yourself make statements like that, it won’t work. It’s really sad if Mr. Iakobashvili doesn’t understand this. If you are so aggressive saying stuff like that, it simply means that you don’t want to solve the conflict. I don’t have any desire for talking with Kokoit, but if it’s necessary and is in the interests of our people, I’ll meet him regardless that I don’t acknowledge him. Unfortunately, we still have not realized that ethno-territorial conflicts can be resolved by diplomatic means and nothing else.

-    You visited the administration of Dimitry Sanakoev, participated in the elections of the head of alternative administration and then became the Foreign Minister in the same administration. What is this “Sanakoev administration”? What does it do? What does it serve when it practically sits in Tbilisi and acts like it’s South Osettian government?

-    I really had a “chance” to participate in the alternative presidential elections of South Ossetia. First I thought that arranging alternative presidential elections was the right decision by Georgian government. Since 2006, the situation severely intensified in the region. In the summer of same year, I had meetings with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow where certain indication was made that if I participate in the Tskhinvali presidential elections, as a rival of Kokoit, Moscow would support me. In October (I clearly remember that day as it was my daughter’s birthday), the representatives of Georgian government visited me and asked to participate in the alternative elections, where Dimitri Sanakoev, the former Defense Minister of South Ossetia would win. They said that it was a serious way out of that severe situation that would have been followed by the possible military conflict.

-    You probably know that Dimitri Sanakoev is announced to be a collaborationist in Tskhinvali and doesn’t have a good reputation among the population. Did you know him before?

-    I knew neither about Dimitri Sanakoev, nor other participants of “Sanakoev Project”: Vladimer Sanakoev, who I don’t even know where is now and brother Qarqusovs (Jemal Qarqusov was the Minister of Internal Affairs before in Tskhinvali, Uruzmag is still the deputy Minister of Economics, Ianek Qarqusov is the criminal)… but I was told not to worry about it: don’t worry, things are going good, we’re controlling everything…

Later, whatever we found out about Dima Sanakoev, to say it honestly, was not very pleasant for me. When I found out, that this project was not going to bring any results, more – it would intensify the situation in the region, since May of 2007 I tried to leave my job several times. I don’t want to openly talk about the reasons why I decided to make statement in April of 2008 about the reason of my resignation.

-    Numerous Georgians and Ossetians were lost after the August war. Nothing new about Alan Khachirov, Soltan Pliev and Alan Khugaev. Though there’s a video material according to which these teenagers were captured and tortured by Georgians. Last year in December, Gocha Dzasokhov, through Maestro stated that these people might not be alive anymore. Do you have any information about them?

-    I also think that these people are not alive. I hope I’m mistaken. The fact is that Georgians captured them and then probably they were killed. At last the war is over and the peace processes should be fostered by this, but, unfortunately, it’s not happening.

-    What’s the current state of ethnical Ossetians in Georgia, the people who are beyond the de facto South Ossetia?

-    The number of Ossetians living in Georgia is catastrophically decreasing. I mean those people who are identifying themselves with Ossetians. The reason of this is not the direct and open oppression or persecution. Though, there are cases when more or less interesting Ossetian people for Georgian government were directly persecuted. Mostly, Ossetians started to have subconscious fear towards the state and government that in a very short period, in about 20 years, three times failed to avoid the conflict between Georgians and Ossetians who are religiously and mentally most related people groups in the world. That’s why most of Ossetians left Georgian territory, including famous people – Gocha Dzasoxov, Leri Khabelov, Vladimer Gutsaev, Arsen Kasabiev and others.