JCC Fails to Agree on ‘Key Issues’

The sides have failed to agree on “key issues” during a 51st session of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC) over South Ossetia, a joint information note by JCC members, posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s web-site on August 18, reads.

The JCC session, which involves the Georgian, South Ossetian, Russian and Russia’s North Ossetian negotiators, was held in Moscow on August 17-18.

“Significant disagreements have been revealed over key issues, which were included in the [session’s] agenda. It was impossible to overcome [these disagreements] during the two-day work,” reads information note, which does not specify any other details.

It was decided to hold a second round of 51st session of the JCC in the Russia’s North Ossetian capital Vladikavkaz on September 5-6.

Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Merab Antadze said the sides have decided “to take a time out,” RIA Novosti news agency reported.

He said the sides failed to agree on very important issues, but he declined to specify details.

“We will continue discussions over these issues in early September,” Antadze added.

Earlier Russian news agencies reported that major disagreements were triggered by the Georgian side’s demand to discuss changes in the current Russian-dominated negotiation format.

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