DECISION OF THE JOINT CONTROL COMMISSION FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF THE GEORGIAN-OSSETIAN CONFLICT On the Forces for the Support of Peace
Moscow, 6 December 1994
Having heard at its 22 November 1994 meeting in Vladikavkaz the report of Lieutenant General A.G. Gerasimov, chairman of the JCC working group, on the Joint Forces for the Support of Peace (JFSP) in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, the information by Major General N.I. Tatarashvili, first deputy defense minister of the Republic of Georgia, Major General V. S. Konstantinov, chief military commander of the Russian peacekeeping forces, and Colonel G.Y. Jioyev, commander of the North Ossetian peacekeeping forces, after a detailed study of the situation on the spot, and the discussion of the matters on 6 December 1994 in Moscow, the Joint Control Commission concluded that the situation remains complicated in the conflict zone and adjacent districts.
At the same time, the Joint Control Commission stated that the conflict zone has not expanded over the past period and there is a trend of its diminution as a result of the peaceful aspirations of the parties to the conflict.
There are substantial shortcomings in the organizational and personnel structures, equipment, and activities of the Georgian and Ossetian battalions of the peacekeeping forces. It is necessary to improve their material, technical, and financial conditions. The sides admit the need for the maintenance of the peacekeeping forces.
The Russian battalion of the peacekeeping forces is the guarantor of relative stability in the conflict zone.
The sides are unanimous in the opinion that, along with the unresolved nature of political issues and the dire economic situation, it is the drastic deterioration of the crime situation and the presence of a big number of unregistered weapons among the population of both parties to the conflict that have a direct destabilizing effect on the situation in the region.
The armored vehicles and heavy weapons that are not meant for a peacekeeping mission but are at the disposal of the Georgian and Ossetian battalions also cause well-grounded concern.
The Joint Control Commission decided:
1. To establish the post of the commander of the Joint Forces for the Support of Peace from the Russian side and to define his status for the purpose of coordinating actions and raising the effectiveness and efficiency of the peacekeeping forces. The posts of the chief military commanders of the Russian, Georgian, and Ossetian sides shall also be maintained.
The nomination for the commander of the Joint Forces for the Support of Peace in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict will be submitted by the Defense Ministry of the Russian Federation and appointed by the JCC. Chief military commanders for the sides shall be appointed on the basis of the decisions made by the leaderships of respective sides.
2. To approve Regulations concerning the basic principles of operation of the military contingents and of the groups of military observers designated for the normalization of the situation in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict (annexed).
3. To recommend the leadership of the Joint Forces for the Support of Peace to remove, in coordination with the sides, from the Georgian and Ossetian battalions those people who have discredited the dignity of peacekeepers
To approve a commission comprising 12 people (three from each of the sides) for the testing of the personnel of these battalions. The commission shall be chaired by the commander of the JFSP (the list of members is annexed).
To conserve by 1 February 1995 the infantry fighting vehicles and heavy weapons belonging to the Ossetian battalion, ensuring appropriate protection and monitoring from the Joint Staff.
In the same time frames, the infantry fighting vehicles belonging to the Georgian battalion shall be replaced by light equipment and heavy weapons shall be withdrawn from the subunit.
For the purpose of ensuring vital activity of remote outposts, each side shall be allowed to use in the winter seasons four infantry fighting vehicles with removed arming. Military observers of the sides shall monitor their use.
4. To approve the submitted scheme for the organization of service at outposts and checkpoints with participation of military observers of the three sides (annexed).
5. To envision the rotation of the personnel in the Ossetian and Georgian battalions in six months time and at outposts -- in one or two months.
6. To recommend to the sides in conflict to establish close coordination and cooperation between respective law enforcement bodies and the Joint Forces for the Support of Peace.
7. To approve from 1 January 1995 a new organizational and personnel structure of the Joint Forces for the Support of Peace in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict (annexed).
8. To request the government of the Russian Federation to consider without delay issues of material and technical improvement and financing of the Ossetian contingent of the Joint Forces for the Support of Peace at the expense of the Russian side.
On behalf of the Russian side
On behalf of the Georgian side
On behalf of the North Ossetian side
On behalf of the South Ossetian side
In the presence of the CSCE Mission
(Archive of the Staff of the State Minister of Georgia for Conflict Resolution Issues/in Russian)