DECISION TAKEN BY THE COUNCIL OF THE HEADS OF STATES OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES on Further Steps towards the settlement of the Conflict in Abkhazia, Georgia

The Council of the heads of States of the Commonwealth of Independent States,

Confirming its commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia,

Recalling all its relevant Decisions to the comprehensive settlement of the conflict in Abkhazia, Georgia, in particular the Decision of 19 January 1996 “On Regulation of the Conflict in Abkhazia, Georgia”, the Decision of 28 March 1997 “On Development of Peacekeeping Operations in the Conflict Zone of Abkhazia, Georgia” and the Decision of 1998 “On Additional Measures on Regulation of the Conflict in Abkhazia, Georgia” and stressing the necessity of their realization,

Welcoming in this context Geneva and Athens meetings of Georgian and Abkhaz Sides with the presence of representatives of the Russian Federation as facilitator, the OSCE and the states of the “Group of Friends to the UN Secretary General”,

Noting the active role of the UNO in the process of the conflict settlement in Abkhazia, Georgia, and stressing the importance of intensification of this activity,

Welcoming in this context the contribution of the Collective Peacekeeping Force of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the United Nations Observers Mission in Georgia in establishment of the adequate condition for negotiations,

Sharing the concern of the UN Security Council with regard of failure of signing by the sides of the Agreement “on Peace and Guarantees for prevention the Armed Clashes” and “the Protocol on Return of Refugees in Gali Region and Measures for the Restoration of Economy”, and supporting the recommendations to the Sides to resume the bilateral negotiations,

Reaffirming the right of refugees and displaced persons to return and live at their places of residence in Abkhazia, Georgia,

decided:

1. To take a note of the report of the Executive Secretariat of the CIS on implementation of the Decision taken by the Council of the Heads of States of the Commonwealth of independent States of 1998 “On Additional Measures for Conflict Settlement in Abkhazia, Georgia”.

2. Member-states of the CIS will continue supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia in order to achieve early settlement of the conflict in Abkhazia, Georgia, return of refugees and displaced persons to their places of residence.

3. To call upon the member-states of the Commonwealth of Independent States to give positive consideration and submit the concrete proposals on the Appeal of the Chairman of the Council of the Heads of States of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the President of the Russian Federation B. Yeltsin to the Heads of the CIS member-states of 13 February 1994 “On use of Collective peacekeeping Forces in the Georgian-Abkhaz Conflict Zone” with regard of detachment of military contingent to the CPKF, observers and other forms for participation in peace operations of the CIS in Abkhazia, Georgia.

4. The Heads of Foreign and Military agencies of the member-states of the Commonwealth of Independent States, who the Appeal mentioned in Paragraph 3 applies to, shall hold the consultations in order to reconcile the possible forms of a real participation of those states in peace operations together with the Russian Federation pursuant to the determined number of the CPKF of 3 000 people.

5. To give the firm recommendation to the Sides to accomplish within a month approval of the drafts of “Agreement on Maintaining Peace and on Guarantees of Prevention of Armed Clashes” and “the Protocol on the Return of Refugees in the Gali Region and Reconstruction of the Region’s Economy” and to sign them.

6. To endorse the proposals on extension of the term of presence of the Collective peacekeeping Forces in the conflict zone of Abkhazia, Georgia for 6 months or until one of the sides demands on termination of the operation. The decision in this regard will come into effect after the documents mentioned in the paragraph 4 are signed. If the sides fail to reach the agreement within the mentioned term, the issue of expediency of further presence of the CIS CPKF in the conflict zone shall be brought to the consideration.

To approve the Mandate of the CPKF of the CIS terminating on 2 April 1999.

7. To ensure the implementation of the measures set out in the decisions of the Council of the heads of States of the CIS of 28 May 1997 and 1998 with regard of enlargement of the security zone and elaboration of the plan of relocation based on the mechanisms worked out by the Sides.

8. To consider inadmissible further procrastination of organized return of refugees and displaced persons in the whole territory of Abkhazia, Georgia, first of all in the Gali Region (within the old frontiers) in safe condition.

To call upon the Abkhaz side to reconsider these issues and reach the positive solution.

In case of resistance to the return of refugees, endangering the peace and stability in the region, the issue on adequate changes of the nature and character of the peacekeeping operations shall be discussed on the basis of the UN Charter.

9. To call upon the Sides of the conflict to decide the issue of setting up interim transitional administrations at the stage of step-by-step return of refugees and comprehensive normalization of living conditions in the Gali Region (within the old frontiers) that would work under the direct participation of the mediators, the UNO and the OSCE.

10. Recovery of the regions’ economy shall be solely linked with implementation of the organized and steady process of the return of refugees and displaced persons.

11. To entrust the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Council of Ministers of Defence of the CIS member-states with the task to set up before 1 July 1999 the operative Working Group, Executive Secretariat and the Headquarter comprising of representatives of member-states interested in the comprehensive settlement of the conflict in Abkhazia, Georgia, for coordination of military cooperation of the CIS member-states. The Executive Secretariat of the CIS shall ensure the implementation of aforementioned tasks, including the elaboration of the Regulations of the Group.

12. The Council of the Ministers of Defence, through their working organ - the Headquarter on coordinating the military cooperation of the CIS member-states shall carry out the management of military aspects of the operation on maintaining the peace in the conflict zone.

13. The Executive Secretariat of the CIS shall forward the letter to the UN Secretariat with request to discuss the issue of including the representatives of the interested CIS member-states to the UN Observers Mission in Georgia.

14. The Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Council of Ministers of Defence of the CIS, together with the Executive Secretariat of the CIS shall exercise the control on the implementation of this Decision.

15. To inform the UN Security Council about this decision taken by the Council of the Heads of States of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Done at Moscow, 2 April 1999…

Signed by the Heads of States of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The Document hasn’t been signed by the Republic of Belarus, Moldova and Turkmenistan.

(www.un.org/russian)