Georgian Chief Negotiator Comments on JCC Talks
Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Giorgi Khaindrava said on December 28 that during the Joint Control Commission (JCC) session in Moscow the sides failed to agree on setting up of a joint working group to develop peace program for the South Ossetian conflict resolution.
The quadripartite JCC, which involves negotiators from the Georgian, South Ossetian, Russian and Russia?s North Ossetian sides, gathered in Moscow on December 27-28 to discuss recent proposals by South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity. The latter proposed in December to set up a joint working group in frames of the JCC, which will develop a peace program. But the Georgian side is against of establishment of a new group and insists to start working over this program in frames of already existing JCC.
?All three [Russian, South Ossetian and North Ossetian] sides think that it is necessary to establish a joint group, which will develop a [peace] program within 3-4 months. The Georgian side is categorically against of this. The Joint Control Commission already exists and its purpose is to fulfill decisions,? Giorgi Khaindrava said at a news conference in Moscow after the talks.
The Georgian State Minister also said that the sides also failed to agree on holding bilateral meeting between Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli and the South Ossetian leader.
He said that the sides agree on two issues: necessity to demilitarize the conflict zone and need for economic rehabilitation of the conflict zone. ?But the sides have different outlook on the political issues,? Khaindrava added.
He also criticized the Russian peacekeeping forces stationed in the conflict zone and said that peacekeepers ?fail to fulfill their duties.? Khaindrava said that Georgia will demand their withdrawal if the peacekeepers? performance is not improved by February, 2006, as envisaged by the Georgian Parliament?s resolution adopted in October.
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