Mikheil Saakashvili traveled on January 2 to the Georgian-populated village of Tamarasheni, which is located less than one mile outside Tskhinvali, the capital of the unrecognized Republic of South Ossetia. Saakashvili reiterated his earlier offers to the population of those districts of South Ossetia not under Georgian control to rebuild schools, highways, and other infrastructure damaged during the 1990-1992 conflict. The South Ossetian Foreign Ministry released a statement on January 2 denouncing Saakashvili\'s visit as intended to fuel tensions and demonstrate support for \"destructive forces\" based in the village of Kurta, meaning the alternative South Ossetian leadership elected by the region\'s Georgian voters two months ago. The statement appealed to the international community to call on Georgia to \"refrain from provocative actions\" and to seek a mutually acceptable solution to the conflict within the framework of the existing format for negotiations. (Caucasus Press)