PROTOCOL # 45 OF THE MEETING OF THE JOINT CONTROL COMMISSION (JCC) ON GEORGIAN-OSSETIAN CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Moscow, 24-25 October 2005

Chaired by:

Valeri Fedorovich Keniaykin, Russian Co-Chairman of the JCC, Ambassador for Special Assignments of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 (…)

Agenda äķ˙:

1. On current situation and perspectives of the conflict settlement process in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone.

JPKF activities and interaction of military and law-enforcement agencies of the sides.

2. On Invitation of OSCE Chairman-in-Office D. Rupel to hold a JCC meeting in Ljubljana in November this year.

3. On Socio-economic rehabilitation of the conflict zone.

Resolution:

1. On Current situation and perspectives of the conflict settlement process in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone.

JPKF activities and interaction of military and law-enforcement agencies of the sides.

(Keniaykin, Khaindrava, Chochiev, Kusov, Kulakhmetov, Kublashvili, Friev, Reeve, Vantomme)

The meeting participants noted recent escalation of the situation in the conflict zone following deployment of heavy equipment in the conflict area and mortar shelling of Tskhinvali on September 20 2005 that resulted in casualties among the civil population.

Implementation of earlier adopted JCC decision is very slow. The process of the conflict zone demilitarization that started earlier is now suspended.

The decision on arranging the meeting and the efforts made by the Russian side with a view to re-activating the JCC witness to the parties’ interest in conflict  resolution.

1.1. To take note of the Report by Major General M.M. Kulakhmetov, JPKF Commander, about the situation in the conflict zone (enclosed).

1.2. To note that the three-stage conflict resolution scheme is the real basis for peaceful process development (first stage being demilitarization of the conflict zone and re-building of trust; second stage – socioeconomic rehabilitation of the conflict zone; third stage – political settlement), supported by heads of the sides in conflict – M.H. Saakashvili’s speech at the 59th session of the UN GA, statements by E.D. Kokoity.

1.3. With a view to develop measures directed at furthering the peaceful process, to suggest holding a meeting between E.D. Kokoity and Z.T. Nogaideli in the nearest future.

1.4. In compliance with proposals of the South Ossetian side, also with JCC decision of June 22-23 2005 (Protocol no. 44), to speed up organization of the meeting between heads of law-enforcement agencies of the parties participating in the resolution of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, with a view to develop a complex of measures for fighting crime in the conflict zone and re-activating the SCC. The JCC Working Group for law-enforcement agencies together with OSCE shall study the possibility of inviting international experts for investigating the facts of citizens detention by law-enforcement bodies of the parties.

1.5. Further to the agreement achieved in Sochi on November 5 2004, to call the parties’ leadership to assist in conducting meetings of parliamentarians of the sides, representatives of public organizations and the intellectuals at the beginning of 2006.

1.6. In view of provisions of the Russian-Georgian inter-governmental Agreement on Cooperation in Economic Reconstruction and Rehabilitation in the Zone of Georgian-Ossetian Conflict and on Refugee Return of December 23 2000, to call the sides participating in the settlement process to start developing a concept for a free economic zone.

1.7. Acting in compliance with Sochi statements by Z.V. Zhvania and E.D. Kokoity of November 5 2004, to re-start the process of conflict zone demilitarization and disbandment of armed groups uncontrolled by official agencies of respective conflicting sides.

1.8. The joint investigative team set up in compliance with JCC decision of June 22-23 2005, with participation of the OSCE Mission, to finalize criminal investigations based on the existing information concerning the mortar shelling of Tskhinvali on September 20 2005.

1.9. To the request of the Georgian side, to consider the issue of enabling senior military chief of the Georgian side and the OSCE senior military officer to fulfill their duties within the entire area of JPKF responsibility.

2. On Invitation of OSCE Chairman-in-Office D. Rupel to hold a JCC meeting in Lubliana in November 2005.

(Keniaykin, Kusov, Khaindrava, Chochiev, Reeve)

2.1. JCC is grateful to accept the invitation of OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Minister of Foreign Affairs D. Rupel to hold a JCC meeting in Ljubljana (Slovenia) in November 2005.

2.2. Sides of the Joint Control Commission to propose their draft agendas for the forthcoming meeting in Ljubljana within a week.

3. On Socio-economic rehabilitation of the conflict zone.

(Reeve, Tibilov, Volsky, Vantomme, Chochiev)

3.1. To note the work conducted by the Organizational Committee for implementation of the Third Program of the Conflict Zone Rehabilitation funded by the European Commission.

3.2. The meeting participants note the unjustified delay in the terms of implementing separate subprojects of the Program and in this regard call OSCE (Reeve) and European Commission (Vantomme) to speed up their implementation by the UNDP Program management.

3.3. In the frames of authorized JCC Co-chairmen meetings (so-called Thursday meetings), to stimulate the work of the sides’ commissions on using disputable lands in the conflict zone.

3.4. to provide assistance in the implementation of a three-month Needs Assessment program in the area of economy.

V. Keniaykin

Meeting Chair, Russian Co-chairman of the JCC

(Archive of the OSCE Mission to Georgia)