International investigators will arrive in Georgia in early February to investigate the start of the August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia, a Russian daily said on Friday.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta quoted an unidentified source in the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying the International Criminal Court decision to send a group of officials to the former Soviet state was taken following a request by Moscow to The Hague.
"There were many requests to The Hague from both Russia, which considers that real aggressors should be revealed, and South Ossetia, which, besides, has many concrete, factual claims against Georgian military officials," the official said.
The paper said the Georgian government neither confirmed nor denied the Russian report.
Following the five-day war with Georgia over South Ossetia in August 2008, Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and another former Georgian republic, Abkhazia. The war started when South Ossetia was attacked by Tbilisi in an attempt to bring it back under central control.
The republics have also been recognized by Nicaragua, Venezuela, and the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru.
The official said the investigators also intended to visit Moscow, adding that Russia was ready to discuss the situation and provide investigators with any available information related to the August 2008 war.
South Ossetia's foreign minister, Murad Dzhioyev, told the paper that Tskhinvali was also waiting for international investigators, who would "reveal the party responsible for the start of the August [2008] war." However, he said he did not know when the investigators would arrive in the republic.
Dzhioyev was quoted as saying the republic possessed "documents that could pique investigators' interest," adding that they were being prepared by officials in the presidential administration.
MOSCOW, January 22 (RIA Novosti)
