ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
March 17, 2005 Thursday 11:43 AM Eastern Time
JCC not focus on Joint Peacekeeping Force reduction – diplomat
By Maria Pshenichnikova
MOSCOW
Russian Ambassador at Large Valery Kenyaikin said the Joint Control
Commission had not discussed the reduction of Joint Peacekeeping
Force.
Summing up the results of the JCC session on Thursday, the Russian
diplomat said, “There was no talk about the reduction of Joint
Peacekeeping Force at the session of the Joint Control Commission.”
“The Joint Peacekeeping Force is a guarantor of peace and an
effective instrument within the JCC,” he stressed.
In his words, “the JCC session was held in a constructive atmosphere.
The sides are seeking to reach agreement on demilitarisation of the
conflict area. They agreed to take certain military-technical
measures till April 1 – reduce the military presence and eliminate
any posts.” “All this should help normalise the situation in the
conflict area,” Kenyaikin said.
Georgia confirmed that it was seeking to continue the negotiations
started on the initiative of South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity.
“Problems related to the organisation of the meeting will be solved
in a routine way,” the Russian diplomat said.
He did not rule out that the next JCC meeting might be held in
Vladikavkaz. “The exact date will be specified later,” Kenyaikin
added.
Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Georgy Khaindrava
said Tbilisi is pleased with Russia’s role in settling conflicts in
Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
In his words, “the Joint Control Commission on the Settlement of the
Georgian-South Ossetian Conflict is working successfully.” “Russian
partners led by Valery Kenyakin are working constructively and often
finding solutions to problems. We can prove of Moscow’s good
attitude.”
At the same time, Khaindrava stressed, “The second stage – the
implementation of the agreements – will be more difficult. It is
important to find a solution to different problems related to
Georgian-Russian relations. Then all conflicts will be settled in
Georgia.”
Commenting on the withdrawal of Russia’s military bases from Batumi
and Akhalkalaki, Khaindrava said, “There will be no presence of third
countries in Georgia after the pullout of Russian troops.” “There are
prerequisites for solving this problem in the near future,” the
minister said. In his view, “the existence of Russia’s bases in
Georgia is not a serious factor for Tbilisi because this is a
mechanism of the 20th century and not the 21st century.”
To this end, Khaindrava said, “The Georgian side is not going to
deploy NATO or any other troops.” He recognised, “Many people took
part in the March 13 meeting in Akhalkalaki to protest against the
withdrawal Russian bases.” According to the minister, this region,
which is mostly populated by Armenians, “was ignored by authorities.
But there is no supernatural in this.” “It is wrong that a lot of
people worked at the bases. According to my information, about 300
people worked there,” Khaindrava explained.
In his view, the absence of control over the Roksky tunnel “led to
the tragedy in Beslan.” “There is no control over the movement of
military forces and hardware through the Roksky tunnel,” the Georgian
minister pointed out.
“We consider this problem both of Georgia and Russia. The events in
the North Caucasus and Beslan prove of this. The interests of
Georgia, Russia and the region will be infringed upon until the
states’ sovereignty is preserved,” Khaindrava emphasised.