Georgia withdraws from Joint Control Commission for Georgian-Ossetian Conflict Resolution

Грузия выходит из Смешанной контрольной комиссии по урегулированию грузино-осетинского конфликта

"Georgia is withdrawing from the Joint Control Commission (JCC) for Georgian-Ossetian Conflict Resolution and requests the immediate withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from the territory of the former South-Ossetian autonomous oblast." According to an IA Regnum correspondent, the announcement was made in a statement released the evening of September 1 by Georgian State Minister for Reintegration Issues Temur Iakobashvili.

"In accordance with the resolutions passed by the Parliament of Georgia on July 18, 2006 'Concerning the peacekeeping forces deployed on Georgian territory' and on August 28, 2008 'Concerning the occupation of Georgian territory by the Russian Federation,' as well as with item 3 of Order of the Georgian Government No.552 signed on August 29, 2008, the State Minister for Reintegration Issues has been authorized to declare that Georgia is withdrawing from the Joint Control Commission for Georgian-Ossetian Conflict Resolution, created according to the June 24, 1992 agreement 'concerning the principles of resolving the Georgian-Ossetian conflict'," says the State Minister in the release.

"The aforementioned decisions were made after the Russian Federation, by its own hostile actions, disregarded all the peacemaking documents, which had been accepted at a bilateral level and within the limits of the CIS. Accordingly, the Georgian MFA has carried out procedures for the unilateral termination of the agreement 'Concerning the principles of resolving the Georgian-Ossetian conflict' of June 24, 1992," the statement notes.

"After this, the Joint Control Commission for Georgian-Ossetian Conflict Resolution ceases to exist, and all protocols and agreements made in the framework of the JCC have lost their validity; the mandate of the JCC has been abolished, and therefore, the immediate termination of the so-called 'peacekeeping operation' in the former South Ossetian oblast and the immediate withdrawal of divisions of the Russian army from Georgian territory should follow," the statement reads.

"At the same time, the government of Georgia states that it remains committed to the positions outlined by the president of France in the ceasefire agreement, which are presented in the corresponding letter from Nicolas Sarkozy and enclosed explanations," emphasizes Iakobashvili.