Regarding Exacerbation of Situation in Georgian-Ossetian Conflict Zone

Unofficial translation from Russian

PRESS RELEASE

Ambassador at Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yuri Popov, head of the Russian part of the Mixed Control Commission (MCC) for settlement of the conflict, made a trip to Georgia and South Ossetia to attend the emergency meeting of the cochairmen of the MCC held in Tskhinvali on June 22.

The meeting involved the Ministers of Internal Affairs of Georgia and South Ossetia and officials from the Ministries of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and of North Ossetia.

The situation evolving in the conflict zone was examined and urgent measures were outlined to remove the tension resulting from an illegal seizure of civilians and the conduct by the parties of uncoordinated unilateral operations.

There was taken note of the statement of the Georgian and South Ossetian Ministers of Internal Affairs that they bear full responsibility for the maintenance of law and order in the sections the parties control in the conflict zone and agreement concerning the resumption of the work of the law enforcement agencies' Special Coordination Center and maintenance of regular contacts between the parties' interior-ministry structures as well as between their leaders, including holding monthly meetings between the Ministers of Internal Affairs was reached.

It was decided within 24 hours to dismantle the illegal posts at the Prisi and Avnevi checkpoints, the existence of which led to a dangerous standoff between the armed units of the parties.

The cochairmen instructed the Working Group for drawing up an agreed Program of Peaceful Settlement of the Conflict to submit before July 5 a draft of its work schedule for approval by the MCC.

It was agreed to hold the next MCC meeting in Tbilisi on July 12-13. The Russian side positively assesses the outcome of the MCC cochairmen's Tskhinvali meeting involving the leaders and officials of the sides' Ministries of Internal Affairs as a step forward in the matter of Georgian-Ossetian settlement conducive to building up trust and mutual understanding between Tbilisi and Tskhinvali and preserving peace in the conflict zone.

June 23. 2006