PROTOCOL
OF THE FOURTH (SECOND SPECIAL) SESSION OF THE COORDINATING COUNCIL OF THE
GEORGIAN AND ABKHAZIAN SIDES
The fourth (second special) session of the
Coordinating Council set up based on the final declaration of the meeting of
the Georgian and Abkhazian sides (Geneva, 17-19 November 1997) was held on the
demand of the Abkhazian and Georgian sides in Tbilisi on 22 May 1998 under the
auspices of the United Nations, chaired by the UN Secretary General’s Special
Representative Mr. Liviu Bota.
The Georgian side was represented by the delegation
comprising Mr. Vazha Lordkipanidze, Mr. Revaz Adamia, and Mr. Tamaz Khubua.
The Abkhazian side was represented by the
delegation comprising Mr. Tamaz Ketsba, Mr. Victor Khashba and Mr. Otar
Kakalia.
Opening the session, the UN Secretary General’s
Special Representative Mr. Liviu Bota noted that in connection with the
developments that have taken place in Gali District lately, the Abkhazian and
Georgian sides had appealed to him with the request to convoke a special
session of the Coordination Council. Taking into account that both sides refer
to the same developments, both letters were included on the agenda on the
first-received basis.
The following agenda were adopted:
1. Letter
to the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative from the head of the
Abkhazian delegation;
2. Letter to the UN Secretary General’s Special
Representative from the head of the Georgian delegation;
3. Implementation of the decisions of the first
special session of the Coordination Council as of 22 January 1998 on elaboration
of a mechanism, in which representatives of the sides, UNOMIG and/or CIS CPKF
could participate in order to investigate and prevent facts violating the
Moscow Agreement on Cease-fire and Separation of Forces, subversive and
terrorist acts carried out in the conflict zone.
The sequence of heads of the Abkhazian and
Georgian delegations taking floor was based on the sequence their letters were
received.
Representatives of the
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative
and representatives of the Russian Federation participating in the work of the
session as a facilitating side, of members of the UN Secretary General’s group
of friends, and of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) called on the sides to abstain from all actions able to aggravate the
situation and take immediate effective measures aimed at improving it. They
also urged the sides to do all they can to support the peace process and
demonstrate necessary political will to achieve concrete results in the key
issues of settlement.
The
Council made the following decision:
1. To take measures aimed at stopping the armed
opposition in Gali District. The Georgian side pressed for the purpose for immediate
withdrawal from Gali District of the additional forces deployed there by the
Abkhazian side. The Abkhazian side pressed the Georgian side for cessation of
the subversive and terrorist activities in Gali District, withdrawal from there
of the armed groups that penetrated into this district from outside Abkhazia;
2. The UN Secretary General’s Special
Representative should hold as soon as possible consultations aimed at
implementing decisions of the first special session of the Coordination Council
on 22 January 1998 on creation of a mechanism, in which representatives of the
sides, UNOMIG and/or CIS CPKF could participate in order to investigate and
prevent facts violating the Moscow Agreement on Cease-fire and Separation of
Forces, subversive and terrorist acts carried out in the conflict zone; submit
a report on the results of these consultations at the forthcoming Geneva
meeting and elaborate related recommendations.
3. The sides will abstain from making steps able
to lead to aggravation of the situation in the conflict zone and take practical
steps for the progress of the peace process and guaranteeing security in the
conflict zone.
V.
Lordkipanidze, T. Ketsba, L. Bota
22 May
1998
(Abkhaz Issue in Official Documents, Legislative
and Executive organs of Georgia, International Organizations, 1989-1999, part
II, 1995-1999; authors: Vakhtang Kholbaia, Teimuraz Chakhrakia, Rafiel
Gelantia, David Latsuzbaia, Tb., 2000, p.206-208 /in Georgan)