PROTOCOL # 36 OF EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF THE JOINT CONTROL COMMISSION (JCC) ON GEORGIAN-OSSETIAN CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Tskhinvali-Ergneti, 13-14 August 2004

Chairman:

Taimuraz Elmurzaevich Kusov, State Advisor to the President of RNO-Alania, North-Ossetian Co-Chairman of the JCC

Agenda:

1. Immediate measures to restore peace in the area of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.

Resolution:

1. The Georgian and South Ossetian sides to immediately cease fire starting from 00:00 August 14 2004 (a separate Ceasefire Protocol is enclosed);

2. To take note of the below-listed preliminary agreements achieved at a meeting of heads of the sides’ armed forces held in the frames of the JCC meeting :

à) to open the Ergneti-Kekhvi section of the Transcaucasus Road with parallel patrolling of the section by JPKF, also the Tskhinvali-Dmenisi and Tskhinvali-Vanati roads, for unimpeded movement of people and goods, including humanitarian aid;

b) within three days, to resolve issues of moving posts and withdrawing armed units that the sides deployed without agreement with JCC and the JPKF Joint Command, in the area of Kurta-Eredvi-Sarabuki-Kekhvi;

Resolutions of the JPKF Joint Command about the movement and positioning of new JKPF posts shall be submitted to the JCC for approval.

Upon achieving agreements on this issue, control over their implementation shall be provided by groups of military observers with involvement of OSCE military monitoring officers;

c) to position a JPKF post with observers from the three sides on the contact line between the Georgian and South Ossetian armed units in the area of village Sarabuki.

In parallel with positioning the post, a direct contact shall be established between commanders of these units before their withdrawal;

d) to restore a RF peacekeeping post on the Eredvi-Vanati road positioned earlier by a decision of the JPKF Joint Command, with military observers from RF and Georgia;

e) no later than in 2 weeks, the sides to start resolution of the issue concerning withdrawal of the armed units deployed without agreement with the JCC and JPKF Joint Command, from the conflict zone;

f) in parallel with implementing paragraph e) of this item, the sides to agree the number of militia/police stations necessary to ensure law and order and to provide for public safety in settlements located in the conflict zone.

3. To take note of the fact that on 15 August 2004 heads of armed forces of the sides in conflict will start negotiating measures for implementing agreements listed in item 2 of this Protocol.

4. Within seven days, heads of armed forces of the sides in conflict shall submit to JCC for consideration proposals for further steps to de-escalate tension in the conflict zone

5. The issue of the SCC re-starting its activities shall be discussed after the police posts illegally deployed by the sides withdraw from the conflict zone.

6. To take note of the JPKF Command’s proposal for deploying additional and moving the existing JKPF posts.

The sides note information of the North-Ossetian side of the JCC about the Georgian leadership’s call to President of RNO-Alania A.S. Dzasokhov to provide assistance in arranging a meeting of the RSO President E.Kokoity and Georgian Prime Minister Z. Zhvania.

The JCC calls the Russian and North Ossetian sides participating in the resolution of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict to assist in preparing and holding the above-mentioned meeting in the nearest terms.

T. Kusov

Meeting Chairman, North Ossetian Co-Chairman of the JCC

(Archive of the OSCE Mission to Georgia)