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Commission on Georgian-Ossetian conflict reaches no compromise

RIA Novosti

13/10/2006 15:36

VLADIKAVKAZ, October 13 (RIA Novosti) - Members of the Joint Control Commission for the resolution of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict said Friday they had failed to reach a compromise, and the Georgian side has demanded an alteration in its format.

The JCC, comprising Georgia, the breakaway region of South Ossetia, Russia and its North Caucasus Republic of North Ossetia, was formed to find a solution to the conflict between Georgia and the self-proclaimed republic of South Ossetia.

"Unfortunately, we failed to reach agreement on many issues," Murat Tkhostov, a representative of North Ossetia, said.

Georgian representative Merab Antadze said his country proposed a bilateral format for the commission, with the European Union, Russia and the United States acting as guarantors.

"The Georgian side proposes finding compromises only by peaceful means," Antadze said.

He also said Georgia proposed deploying in the conflict zone international police involving Russia.

Tkhostov said Georgia failed to explain why the changes were necessary, and Boris Chochiyev, a representative of South Ossetia, said Georgia's proposals were unacceptable.

He also said Georgia wanted to replace the peacekeeping contingent with British, French or U.S. forces.

Russia said Friday it favors preservation of the JCC's format.

Yury Popov, Russian co-chairman of the JCC, said: "We act on the assumption that this dialogue should proceed within the JCC, because if the work in the existing format is interrupted, a vacuum will emerge, and with it the danger that peaceful dialogue between the parties to the conflict will break down."

He said Georgia's inflexible position is aimed at destroying the JCC format.

"This is being done to deny Russia the possibility to influence the situation by mediating between the parties to the conflict," he said. "We consider this line to be counterproductive, because it does not help move toward a settlement in the Georgia-Ossetia conflict on the basis of the decisions that were made in the past three months within the JCC framework."

He said the JCC cannot dissolve itself, because it was formed under an agreement signed by the parties' presidents.

Popov said Friday's session ended without any results.

"The sides expressed their intention to continue the dialogue, but it was not specified in what form the dialogue will continue," he said. "No date for the next JCC meeting has been set."

South Ossetia and Abkhazia declared independence from Georgia following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, bringing bloody conflicts to the region. Russia mediated ceasefire agreements between the sides, and Russian peacekeepers have been deployed in the conflict zones ever since.