JCC Discusses Criminality in South Ossetia

The quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC), which oversees a ceasefire in the South Ossetian conflict zone, will start its session in Moscow on June 22 to discuss the crime situation in the region. Originally, the session was scheduled to start on June 21 but was postponed for one day as the delegations were late to arrive.

This is the second meeting of the JCC, which involves the Georgian, South Ossetian, Russian and Russia?s North Ossetian side, that has been held in the past month. Another meeting was convened after an armed clash on May 29, which left four Ossetian militias and one Georgian policeman dead, and was followed by the disappearance of four Georgians on June 6.

In a statement issued on June 21, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the results of investigation carried out by the Georgian and South Ossetian sides into these cases are ?unsatisfactory.?

?It is anticipated that effective measures aimed at quick investigation of these cases will be developed during this meeting. Beside this issue, steps towards the demilitarization of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone and social-economic rehabilitation [of the region] will also be outlined,? the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

Along with the Georgian co-chairman of the JCC, State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Giorgi Khaindrava and Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Amiran Meskheli will also participate in this meeting. Breakaway South Ossetian Interior Minister Mikhail Mirzoev will also take part in these talks.

Valery Kenyaikin, the Russian Foreign Ministry?s special envoy, who represents the Russian side at the JCC, told RIA Novosti on June 22 that a quadripartite protocol over cooperation between the law enforcement agencies is planned to be signed.

RIA Novosti also quoted Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Giorgi Khaindrava as saying on June 22 that ?if the JCC fails to agree on appropriate measures in order to settle the current situation, we [the Georgian side] will think over how to work in frames of the law, in frames of a united state.?

?Georgia can undertake unilateral measures, but we think it will not be correct. We will give one more chance to our counterparts in order to finally solve all the issues,? Giorgi Khaindrava said as quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)