TSKHINVALI. June 25 (Interfax-AVN) - Over 40 Ossetian families intend to leave their native houses in the Pankisi Gorge. They handed in applications to the government of the unrecognized republic of South Ossetia with request to allow them to settle in South Ossetia, first deputy chairman of the government of South Ossetia Eduard Kotaev told Interfax-Military News Agency on Wednesday.
"It is evidence that crime problems do currently exist in the gorge," he said.
"The applications will be considered; we shall submit proposals on the migration opportunity and suggest options," Kotaev said.
According to him, "while up to 5,000 Ossetians used to live in Pankisi, only about 1,000 of them stay there now."
"The Ossetians had left the gorge lately mainly because Chechen guerillas had settled there," he said.
Kotaev noted that people go from Pankisi mainly to North Ossetia because South Ossetia cannot receive newcomers.