DECISION OF THE JOINT CONTROL
COMMISSION FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF THE GEORGIAN-OSSETIAN CONFLICT On the Forces for the Support of Peace
Having heard at its
22 November 1994 meeting in Vladikavkaz the report of Lieutenant General A.G.
Gerasimov, chairman of the JCC working group, on the Joint Forces for the
Support of Peace (JFSP) in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, the
information by Major General N.I. Tatarashvili, first deputy defense minister
of the Republic of Georgia, Major General V. S. Konstantinov, chief military
commander of the Russian peacekeeping forces, and Colonel G.Y. Jioyev,
commander of the North Ossetian peacekeeping forces, after a detailed study of
the situation on the spot, and the discussion of the matters on 6 December 1994
in Moscow, the Joint Control Commission concluded that the situation remains
complicated in the conflict zone and adjacent districts.
At the same time,
the Joint Control Commission stated that the conflict zone has not expanded
over the past period and there is a trend of its diminution as a result of the
peaceful aspirations of the parties to the conflict.
There are
substantial shortcomings in the organizational and personnel structures,
equipment, and activities of the Georgian and Ossetian battalions of the
peacekeeping forces. It is necessary to
improve their material, technical, and financial conditions. The sides admit the need for the maintenance
of the peacekeeping forces.
The Russian
battalion of the peacekeeping forces is the guarantor of relative stability in
the conflict zone.
The sides are
unanimous in the opinion that, along with the unresolved nature of political
issues and the dire economic situation, it is the drastic deterioration of the
crime situation and the presence of a big number of unregistered weapons among
the population of both parties to the conflict that have a direct destabilizing
effect on the situation in the region.
The armored
vehicles and heavy weapons that are not meant for a peacekeeping mission but
are at the disposal of the Georgian and Ossetian battalions also cause
well-grounded concern.
The Joint Control
Commission decided:
1. To establish the
post of the commander of the Joint Forces for the Support of Peace from the
Russian side and to define his status for the purpose of coordinating actions
and raising the effectiveness and efficiency of the peacekeeping forces. The posts of the chief military commanders of
the Russian, Georgian, and Ossetian sides shall also be maintained.
The nomination for
the commander of the Joint Forces for the Support of Peace in the zone of the
Georgian-Ossetian conflict will be submitted by the Defense Ministry of the
2. To approve
Regulations concerning the basic principles of operation of the military
contingents and of the groups of military observers designated for the
normalization of the situation in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict
(annexed).
3. To recommend the
leadership of the Joint Forces for the Support of Peace to remove, in
coordination with the sides, from the Georgian and Ossetian battalions those
people who have discredited the dignity of peacekeepers
To approve a
commission comprising 12 people (three from each of the sides) for the testing
of the personnel of these battalions.
The commission shall be chaired by the commander of the JFSP (the list
of members is annexed).
To conserve by
In the same time
frames, the infantry fighting vehicles belonging to the Georgian battalion
shall be replaced by light equipment and heavy weapons shall be withdrawn from
the subunit.
For the purpose of
ensuring vital activity of remote outposts, each side shall be allowed to use
in the winter seasons four infantry fighting vehicles with removed arming. Military observers of the sides shall monitor
their use.
4. To approve the
submitted scheme for the organization of service at outposts and checkpoints
with participation of military observers of the three sides (annexed).
5. To envision the
rotation of the personnel in the Ossetian and Georgian battalions in six months
time and at outposts -- in one or two months.
6. To recommend to
the sides in conflict to establish close coordination and cooperation between
respective law enforcement bodies and the Joint Forces for the Support of
Peace.
7. To approve from
8. To request the
government of the Russian Federation to consider without delay issues of
material and technical improvement and financing of the Ossetian contingent of
the Joint Forces for the Support of Peace at the expense of the Russian side.
On behalf of the
Russian side
On behalf of the
Georgian side
On behalf of the
North Ossetian side
On behalf of the
South Ossetian side
In the presence of
the CSCE Mission
(Archive of the Staff of the State Minister of