PROTOCOL OF THE HIGH LEVEL MEETING IN GALI On Security Issues,

            On May 12, 2005 the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General Ms. Heidi Tagliavini convened the high level meeting on security issues at the UNOMIG office in Gali.  The Georgian delegation was led by Mr. George Khaindrava.  The Abkhaz delegation was led by Mr. Sergei Shamba.  CPKF of CIS was represented by General-Major Sergei Chaban.  The military observers of the UN were represented by General-Najor Husein Ahmed Eisa Gobashi.

            The meeting was chaired by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General.  The participants approved the following agenda:

            1. The measures to secure implementation of the Moscow Agreement on Ceasefire and separation of forces of 1994 and the obligations relating to the security in the conflict zone;

            2. The measures to secure the common security in the conflict zone and cooperation between the sides;

            3. Miscellaneous.

            The sides agreed on the following:

            1.  Submit to the UNOMIG and the CCPKF of the CIS until May 26 the samples of IDs of the law enforcement officials and of other armed formations in the Conflict Zone and in the Restricted-weapon Zone, and the information about the number of staff;

            2. Set up the group composed of three representatives from each side for operative monitoring on the situation in the Security Zone and submit the list to the UNOMIG and the CCPKF until May 19 of this year;

            3.  Carry out operative and regular exchange of information and the lists of people committing offences in the conflict zone, particularly in Gali District in order to take necessary steps for their arrest and criminal prosecution;

            4.  Submit to the UNOMIG until 26 May the proposals on arranging additional hot lines in the conflict zone;

            5.  Cooperate closely within the frame of Joint Group on investigating the facts in order to increase the effectiveness of its work;

            6.  Consider the issue on reducing the number of staff at the armed formations of the sides at the next high level meeting, including the number of law enforcement officials in the Security Zone and in the Zone of Restricted Armament;

            7. Determine the minimum distance of 650 m between the positions of law enforcement structures of both sides from the line of separation of forces and 500 m between the position of the law enforcement structures of the sides and the check points of the CPKF of the CIS;

            8. Both sides expressed their readiness to work for improving the human rights situation in the conflict zone through existing mechanisms, as well as refraining from belligerent propaganda and rhetoric.

            9. Guarantee the security and provide the assistance to the representatives of international organizations participating in implementing the agreed projects in the conflict zone, including those financed by the European Union and carried out by the UNOMIG and UNDP.

            10. Continue discussing the concrete project on bus communication via Enguri Bridge proposed by the UNOMIG and the CPKF CIS as a humanitarian measure;

            11. Georgian side expressed its readiness to collect and submit the information to the HALO TRUST about the minefields;

            12. Determine necessity and the date of holding the next high level meeting on the security issues;

            13. The sides agreed to renew patrolling when necessary in Kodori Gorge in the nearest future.

            Both sides accepted the proposal of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on holding the next meeting on security issues in mid-June according to the approved format.

            12 May, 2005.

(Newspaper “Respublika Abkhazia”, #53, 17-18 May 2005)