Temur Iakobashvili, the state minister for reintegration issues, said Russia should either provide evidence of Tbilisi’s involvement in recent explosions in South Ossetia or apologize.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on March 26 that “the trace of two bloody terrorist acts in South Ossetia leads to Georgia.” Two South Ossetian militiamen were killed in a blast in the village of Dmenisi on February 28 and on March 23 two men, a peacekeeper from Russia’s North Ossetian peacekeeping battalion and a South Ossetian security service agent, were badly wounded when their car exploded. 

“It is alarming when the Georgian side is accused of masterminding terrorist acts. I hope that the Russian side will submit relevant evidence. Otherwise, they will have to at least apologize,” Iakobashvili told reporters on March 27.    

He also took issue with the Russian Foreign Ministry’s description of Eduard Kokoity as “the President of South Ossetia.” “I do not know the President of South Ossetia,” Iakobashvili said.

He also said that Tbilisi was not against having a meeting between Kokoity, and President Saakashvili. “But this meeting must be well-prepared in advance,” he added.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in its statement on March 26 that Moscow was ready to facilitate such a meeting.