PROTOCOL OF THE THIRD SESSION OF THE COORDINATING COUNCIL OF THE GEORGIAN AND ABKHAZIAN SIDES

The third 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 in Sukhumi on 31 March 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. Sergey Tsargush, and Mr. Victor Khashba.

Opening the session, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative Mr. Liviu Bota noted the encouraging trends in the work of the Coordination Council aimed at achieving concrete steps in the conflict settlement process. He also pointed out a number of negative developments and obstacles in the activities of the Coordination Council.

Representatives of the sides, the Russian Federation acting as a facilitating side, OSCE, and the UN Secretary General’s group of friends, made a statements.

Mr. Zurab Lakerbaia, secretary of the Joint Bilateral Coordination Commission, reported about the work of the commission.

The agenda of the session proposed by the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative included the following issues:

1. Reports on the activities of the working groups;

2. Discussion of recommendations on the activities of the working groups and other proposals and adoption of related decisions;

3. Discussion of obstacles in the activities of the working groups, and ways and means of overcoming them;

4. Exchange of views on the future work.

Coordinators of the activities of the working groups General Harun Ar-Rashid, Mr. Ekber Menemencioglu, and Mr. Marco Borsotti presented their reports on performed work in this capacity.

Ambassador Gennadiy Ilyichev, the representative of the Russian Federation as a facilitating side, presented proposals included in the annexed document.

The Council made the following decision:

1. Charge the 1st working group to speed up elaboration of the 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, as well as subversive and terrorist acts carried out in the conflict zone, including the mechanism of exchange of information;

2. Charge the 2nd working group to consider the problem of refugees and displaced persons, spontaneous returnees to Gali District, raised in the letter of Ambassador Gennadiy Ilyichev, the representative of the Russian Federation Foreign Affairs Ministry, and prepare necessary recommendations for the Coordination Council.

3. Charge the 3rd working group to consider the issue raised in the letter of Ambassador Gennadiy Ilyichev, the representative of the Russian Federation Foreign Affairs Ministry, on the intention of the International Fund of Support for Compatriots Abroad “Rossotech” to export from Russian Federation to Abkhazia some kinds of agricultural and industrial products in the framework of the humanitarian target aid.

4. To convoke in the second half of 1998 a special meeting of the sides with participation of the Russian Federation as a facilitating side, OSCE, and the UN Secretary General’s group of friends for elaboration of measures aimed at implementing the provisions of Paragraph 14 of the Geneva Final Statement on promoting creation of the atmosphere of mutual trust and understanding.

31 March 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. 199-200/in Georgan)