Georgian Non Paper
Conflict settlement
framework in Tskhinvali Region/South
Foreword / General:
Developments
in Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia in the recent past demand more clarity on
the real status of affairs. These developments are characterized by the
substantial change of the political and socio – economical landscape. Gradually
emerging new realities can not be further neglected. In contrary, they fair and
adequate reflection in the framework (s), which attempts to achieve progress en route lasting peaceful, political
settlement.
Therefore,
in debt insight into the realities of past political negotiation processes, as
well as existing peacekeeping format is urgently needed. It will serve for our
joint efforts to achieve comprehensive and lasting political resolution. In
line with this, Georgian government, through the Office of the State Minister
for Reintegration, introduced new proposal for the revitalization of currently
stalled multilateral political negotiations. This was done after a major re -
assessment of political and economical processes in the region, as well as
analyses of past negotiation format, its structure and performance.
Given
observations and propositions are meant to provide insight into new Georgian
position. New Georgian proposal advocates requirement for the comprehensive
review of political negotiation framework in Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia as
prerequisite for advancing towards peaceful, political resolution of the
conflict.
Where we stand
From the
very beginning it should be acknowledged, that Government of Georgia
remains committed to the peaceful
resolution of internal conflicts through direct, unconditional political
negotiations, intensification of international engagement for the activation of
negotiation processes, strengthening direct dialog among local communities,
socio -economic development of conflict affected areas and further advancement
of rehabilitation and confidence building programmes under the auspices of
international organizations. The primary aim of these efforts is the lasting
political settlement of the conflict and definition of autonomous status of
Tskhinvali region / South Ossetia in
The
Government of Georgia confirms its peaceful and restrained policy vis-à-vis the conflict regions and
consistently endeavors to take responsible decisions for containing security
risks at the minimum possible level of tension;
The overall approach of the Government of Georgia to conflict resolution
in
- Political and economical self-governance, preservation of national
identity and cultural rights for the region;
- protection of individual human rights for every citizen, permanently
residing in the region;
- integrity and inviolability of Georgian state;
JCC – failed and outdated framework
As of the Joint Control Commission (JCC),
previously tended as a major negotiation framework,
JCC as a framework contain major security elements,
vital for the overall security. However, partial fulfillment of mandate and
selective performance of Russian contingent dominating JPKF (s) did not allow
accomplishing major peacekeeping task – creation of safe, demilitarized, and
secure environment. Failures of the JPKF are directly linked with JCC inability
to pursue peacekeeping and law enforcement cooperation. Again,
In this respect, there is obvious gap between the
reached agreements and level of their implementation by JCC as an operational
structure. Altogether JCC failed to become a functional implementation
mechanism to beef up political resolution processes.
Specifically:
- Progress
in JCC overwhelmingly depended on the ability of Russian component of JPKF to
perform tasks entrusted by the mandate, which has been delivered only
partially.
- Russian
domination in JPKF made it even more depended on the political will of the
Russian Federation to assist in the preparation of solid grounds for the
political settlement, but outputs does not march with announced targets.
- Creation of irreversibly safe and secure
environment is the main goal of peacekeeping operation and only non-bias and
decisive actions to be undertaken by the JPKF in this direction could harvest
positive results; we did not trace JPKF commitment to fulfill this major task.
Security Priorities:
Georgian
side sets forth the priorities pivotal for establishment of safe and secure
environment in the region. These are as
distinguished:
- To stop
diversion of weapons (including heavy military, ammunition, anti aircraft
systems, anti personal mines), groups of armed “volunteers” and conventional
contraband from Russia through Roki tunnel and uncontrolled roads, mainly
“Dzara bypass road” into the region,
pawed and maintained under direct technical and financial support of Russia.
For this purpose as a first step establishing joint JPKF checkpoint at Didi
Gufta, by alternatively moving existing joint JPKF Observation Point in
Georgian controlled village Kekhvi, which due to road blockade by the
Tskhinvali de facto authorities
remains out-of-use and can not monitor traffic and shipment to-from Tskhinvali
and environs;
- To
start the immediate comprehensive demilitarization of the region, including
disbandment, disarming and decommissioning of illegal armed groups, bands of
“volunteers” and other illegal formations.
This is imperative task due to increased involvement of “volunteers” in
criminal activities and permanent disturbance of public order, as well as
terrorization of local Georgian and Ossetian population;
- To activate preventive measures to combat
ambushes, drive by shootings, mine incidents and attacks on Georgian police
serviceman, checkpoints, international
observers, and on peaceful population.
- To rationalize
peacekeeping resources by redeployment of observation points, temporary and
stationary checkpoints. Particularly this applies to observation point
Megvrekisi of Russian JPKF, which wastes peacekeeping recourse and creates
unnecessary obstacles for the movement of local population, whose freedom of
movement is already hugely restricted by road-blockades established by
Tskhinvali de facto
authorities.
- Guaranteeing
full and unconditional de-blocking of transport roots, currently under the
siege of de facto paramilitary
formations, is another top task for overall security;
- To
establish a cooperation framework between the law enforcement bodies in the
region. If/when the demilitarization progresses in achieving its core tasks,
local law enforcement structures should be prepared for taking over policing
capabilities to sustain safe and secure environment;
- Russia
to stop unilateral economical projects in the region, which keeps alive
Tskhinvali de facto regime’s
military-economical capabilities,
inter alia, construction of
high-voltage electrical line from Russia, resulting in smuggling of huge amount
of electricity into the region; ongoing construction of illegal gas pipe-line,
stretching from Russia to the region, shadow investments into de facto controlled areas.
Future Negotiation
Formats:
Current top priority is
the direct and unconditional dialogue among all political forces and structures
present in the region. In this regard engagement of the Administration of the
Provisional Administrative Unit of South Ossetia and its Leader Dimitri
Sanakoev is the task of an utmost importance.
Another priority is to
continue involving
At the same time, OSCE and European Union
(through European Commission) have cumulatively increasing influence on the
situation on the ground. Their inclusion in political settlement format is
pivotal, citing on special value of incorporating
With all
above in mind, and obvious fact that existing formats, and first of all JCC, is
non-functional and hardly can serve for achieving political progress, Georgia
offers to kick-start multilateral negotiations on political settlement within
the following structural frames:
2 – Georgian Government
and
+
2 – Sanakoev’s
Administration and de facto Tskhinvali
authorities
+
2 – OSCE and European
Commission
With this
approach we will be able to incorporate all the major players, will near the
breakthrough in negotiations for the definition of the status of the region
within
Ends
(March-April 2008)
(http://www.report.smr.gov.ge/GoG)
[1] As per
mandate JCC members are: Russian Federation (RF), Republic North Ossetia /
Alania of the RF, de facto Tskhinvali regime and