Java, South Ossetia
Java is the second largest urban settlement in South Ossetia, after Tskhinvali. It is located outside the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe-defined boundaries of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone – an area within a 15-km radius of Tskhinvali.
The town played a major role in the Russo-Georgian War, with most of the South Ossetian military forces being located there at the time of the Georgian offensive. During the Battle of Tskhinvali, the government of South Ossetia relocated to Java.
Georgia had accused the Russian military of building a large military base in Java before the war. These concerns were brought by the President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, to the attention of the UN General Assembly on September 26, 2007. After the war, Russia announced it was constructing military bases in Java and Tskhinvali, which would be ready in 2010.
References
- ^ South Ossetia's status is disputed. It considers itself to be an independent state, but this is recognised by only a few other countries. The Georgian government and most of the world's other states consider South Ossetia de jure a part of Georgia's territory.
- ^ GEORGIA: AVOIDING WAR IN SOUTH OSSETIA Archived 2007-06-30 at the Wayback Machine, p. 4. International Crisis Group Europe Report N°159. 26 November 2004
- ^ New Agreement in Force. Civil Georgia. 8 September 2008
- ^ European security after the war in Georgia, p. 9. European Security and Defence Assembly Assembly of WEU. 4 December 2008
- ^ "Main Page". cast.ru.
- ^ Saakashvili Attacks Russia in UN Speech. Civil Georgia. September 26, 2007.