PROTOCOL # 49 OF MEETING OF THE JOINT CONTROL COMMISSION (JCC) ON GEORGIAN-OSSETIAN CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Tskhinval, 11-13 May 2006

Chaired by:

Boris Eliozovich Chochiev, First Deputy Chairman of the RSO Government, South Ossetian Co-Chairman of the JCC

Agenda:

1. On situation in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone;

2. On approval of the JCC Working Group members for elaborating an agreed program for peaceful resolution of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict;

3. On consideration of OSCE proposal to develop a draft document on non-use of force and provision of security guarantees (Protocol no. 48, para. 3 of 27.03.06).

4. On approval of the list of projects presented by the JCC Organizational Committee in the frames of the Needs Assessment Concept for socio-economic rehabilitation of the Georgian0Ossetian conflict zone; and Donor Conference with participation of JCC sides.

5. On progress in the return of refugees and internally displaced persons.

6. On the meeting of heads of law-enforcement agencies of the JCC sides.

7. Miscellaneous.

Resolution:

1. On situation in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone ;

(Kulakhmetov, Khaindrava, Chochiev, Popov, Kusov)

1.1. The meeting participants took note of the report of JPKF Commander Major-General M.M. Kulakhmetov about the situation in the Georgian-Ossetian Conflict zone (Annex 1). The JPKF Commander presented to the meeting participants written clarifications on issues raised by the Georgian side to the peacekeeping forces at the latest JCC meeting. It was noted that the situation in and around the conflict zone remains complex despite some positive changes and certain de-escalation of tension.

1.2. The South-Ossetian side drew attention of the JCC meeting participants to the unresolved issue of the Georgian Defense Ministry’s military police present in the conflict zone in contradiction of the existing agreements. Concerning this issue, the sides took note of the information provided by the Georgian side about cancellation of the military police units of the Georgian Defense Ministry in the conflict zone, and instructed the JPKF Command to take necessary measures in compliance with their mandate.

2. On approval of the JCC Working Group members for elaborating an agreed program for peaceful resolution of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict;

Resolution:

2.1. to approve the membership of the JCC Working Group for elaborating an agreed program for peaceful resolution of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict (list of Group members is enclosed);

2.2. the JCC Working Group to develop a draft Regulation of its activities and submit it for approval to JCC Co-chairmen by end of May 2006.

3. On consideration of OSCE proposal to develop a draft document on non-use of force and provision of security guarantees (Protocol no. 48, para. 3 of 27.03.06).

 (Chochiev, Popov, Kusov, Khaindrava, Kochiev, Reeve)

The Co-chairmen discussed issues of trust, security guarantees and non-use of force between the sides in conflict. They agreed to instruct the working group for elaborating an agreed program for peaceful conflict resolution to consider these issues with a view to make a prompt decision about the form and content of the respective document. Discussions of the problem will continue both in the JCC format and bilaterally.

4. On approval of the list of projects presented by the JCC Organizational Committee in the frames of the Needs Assessment Concept for socio-economic rehabilitation of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone; and Donor Conference with participation of the JCC sides.

 (Chochiev, Popov, Kusov, Khaindrava, Tibilov, Volksy, Reeve, Del Marmol)

Resolution:

4.1. To approve the package of project proposals presented by the Organizational Committee and the mechanism of their implementation (annexes 2 and 3).

4.2. To adopt the proposal of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office about holding a donor conference with representatives of the JCC sides in Brussels on June 14 2006.

5. On progress in the return of refugees and internally displaced persons.

 (Chochiev, Kusov, Popov, Khaindrava, Hussein)

In the course of discussing the progress in the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, information was presented by the UNHCR Representative in Georgia N. Hussein about measures taken to provide assistance to refugees with funds allocated by the European Commission. In total, the European Commission allocated ˆ800,000 in the period of 2004-2006, and as a result, 293 families received housing assistance.

It was noted that more active work of the UNHCR Office in Georgia was necessary to raise funds for solving the refugee housing problem and improving the quality of the built houses.

Resolution:

5.1. to re-activate the JCC working body – the Ad Hoc Committee on voluntary return of refugees and IDPs as a result of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.

5.2. to request UNHCR to work more actively to protect refugees and raise funds to assist with house rehabilitation.

5.3. JCC to re-start working over the draft Russian-Georgian inter-state program for refugee and IDP return and measures for infrastructure rehabilitation in the places of return.

6. On the meeting of heads of law-enforcement agencies of the JCC sides.

(Chochiev, Kusov, Popov, Khaindrava)

Resolution:

To hold a meeting of Ministers of Internal Affairs of the JCC sides to discuss, inter alia, the issue of  re-activating SCC before June 10 2006.

7. Miscellaneous

(Chochiev, Kusov, Popov, Khaindrava, Kochiev)

7.1. During the 49th JCC meeting, the JCC co-chairmen and the head of the OSCE Mission met family members of persons detained by Georgian law-enforcement bodies. Georgian JCC Co-chairman G. Khaindrava and head of the OSCE Mission R. Reeve received the families’ complaints about the facts of detention and the custody conditions of the suspects and convicts. Head of the OSCE Mission R. Reeve and JCC Co-chairman G. Khaindrava agreed to check the facts of the received complaints, visit the detained persons, and then report to the JCC and family representatives about the results.

7.2. With regard to the address of the South Ossetian side, the Georgian side expressed its readiness to raise before respective agencies the issue about removing existing obstacles for selling the products of South Ossetian enterprises in Georgia.

7.3. The sides discussed the debt to Ugosetenergo for electrical power supplied to consumers in villages of the Tskhinvali district with prevailing Georgian population, also the power supply to village Artsev disconnected by Georgian power suppliers. The sides expressed their readiness to assist in arranging a meeting of heads of respective power companies to solve the issue of the dept and power supply to village Artsev.

7.4. JPKF Commander raised the issue about the return of the Ural vehicle belonging to the Russian JPKF contingent, seized by the Georgian side during the incident in village Tkviavi on February 29 2006.

B. Chochiev

Meeting Chair, South Ossetian Co-chairman of the JCC

(Archive of the OSCE Mission to Georgia)