PROTOCOL OF THE MEETING BETWEEN THE GEORGIAN AND ABKHAZ SIDES HELD ON 29 MARCH 2002 IN SUKHUMI

On 29 March 2002 a meeting between the Georgian and Abkhaz Sides took place in Sukhumi. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Mr. Dieter Boden- Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, and in the presence of Colonel Yuri Alekseev –Acting Commander of the CIS peacekeeping Forces and Colonel Paul Road –Deputy Chief Military observer of UNOMIG.

The Parties once more reiterated their determination not to use military force against each other and continue search for conflict settlement by exclusively peaceful and political means.

The Parties agreed on the following:

1. Pursuant to the Moscow Agreement of 14 May 1994 the Georgian Forces shall be withdrawn from the Kodori gorge by 10 April 2002. The withdrawal shall be carried out under monitoring and control of UNOMIG and the CIS Peacekeeping Forces in accordance with their mandates, as laid down in the Moscow Agreement of May 14, 1994 and resolution # 937 of the UN Security Council adopted on July 21, 1994.

2. The Abkhaz Side shall withdraw all its heavy weapons and artillery systems from the Kodori gorge and the Tkvarcheli region by 10 April 2002. The withdrawal shall be carried out under monitoring and control of UNOMIG and the CIS Peacekeeping Forces. The Abkhaz Side confirms its commitment to paragraph 4 of the protocol of 17 January 2002.

3. By 10 Aprill 2002, a single Joint patrolling by the UNOMIG and CIS Peacekeeping Forces shall be carried out in thre upper and lower parts of the Kodori gorge and the Tkvarcheli region. Beginning from 10 Aprill 2002 and in accordance to their mandates, the UNOMIG and the CIS Peacekeeping Forces shall carry out regular patrolling of the upper and lower parts of the Kodori gorge and Tkvarcheli region, that are respectively controlled by the Georgian and Abkhaz sides. The Joint patrolling of the upper and lower parts of the Kodory gorge shall be carried out at least once in a week. The both Sides must guarantee security on the territories under their control, including security of control routes, and security of personnel of UNOMIG and CIS Peacekeeping forces.

4. The issues related to further stabilization of the situation in the Kodori gorge shall be discussed by experts within the framework of working Group 1 of the Coordinating Council. The first meeting shall be held no later than 15 April 2002.

On behalf of the Georgian Side M. Kakabadze

On behalf of the Abkhaz Side G. Agrba

On behalf of the UNOMIG D. Boden

On behalf of the CIS Peacekeeping Forces I. Alekseev

29 March 2002

(Archive of the Staff of the State Minister of Georgia for Conflict Resolution Issues/in Russian)