Tbilisi, Sukhumi Agreed on Security Measures
The UN Observer Mission in Georgia today released a protocol over the results of the meeting on security matters, which was held on January 19 in Gali district of breakaway Abkhazia.
The main item on the agenda was the review of the implementation of the Gali Protocol of 8 October 2003. Discussions focused on measures taken to defuse tension in the conflict zone and ways for improvement of the efficiency of existing security mechanisms.
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to Georgia, Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini, chaired the meeting.
Having positively assessed the results of the ad hoc high-level meeting of 8 October, the sides agreed to take every measure to ensure the strict observance of the Moscow Ceasefire Agreement of 1994 and refrain from any action, which may destabilize the situation in the zone of conflict and have a negative impact on the peace process.
The sides also agreed to continue work aimed at the implementation of the Gali Protocol of 8 October 2003 in its entirety; instruct law enforcement agencies to continue their cooperation and to regularly exchange information, based on concrete evidence; ensure their meaningful participation in and representation at the Quadripartite meetings and the Joint Fact Finding Group and its Working Group in Gali and fully cooperate with UNOMIG and CIS peacekeeping troops in the clarification of incident details and, likewise, of security matters.
The Georgian side was represented by Special Affairs Minister Malkaz Kakabadze, while the Abkhaz side was represented by Abkhaz de facto Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba.
