Memorandum of understanding between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides at the negotiations held in Geneva

• Country/entity

  Georgia
  Abkhazia
  
• Region

  Europe and Eurasia
  Europe and Eurasia
  
• Agreement name

  Memorandum of understanding between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides at the negotiations held in Geneva
• Date

  1 Dec 1993
• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed
• Interim arrangement

  Yes
• Agreement/conflict level

  Intrastate/intrastate conflict ( Georgian Separatist Conflicts (1989 - ) )
• Stage

  Framework/substantive - partial
• Conflict nature

  Territory
• Peace process

  Abkhazia peace process
• Parties

  For the Georgian side
  (Jaba Ioseliani)
  For the Abkhaz side
  (Sokrat Jinjolia)
• Third parties

  In the presence of:
  For the United Nations
  (Edouard Brunner)
  Russian Federation
  (Boris Pastukhov)
  CSCE
  (Vincenzo Manno)
• Description

  Commitment not to use force or threat of force for period of negotiations. Maintenance of peace to be promoted by increase in international observers and use of peace-keeping forces. Also provided for exchange of prisoners of war before 20 December in gesture of good will; urgent measures to find missing persons; creation of conditions for return of refugees and return of land and property. Parties expressed hope for participation of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and appealed for humanitarian assistance. Agreed a group of experts would prepare recommendations on the political status of Abkhazia and set date for next round of negotiations.

• Agreement document

  GE_931201_MoUGeorgianAndAbkhazSides.pdf | Download PDF

Groups

Gender

State definition

Governance

Power sharing

Human rights and equality

Rights related issues

Rights institutions

Justice sector reform

Socio-economic reconstruction

Land, property and environment

Security sector

Transitional justice

Implementation

Memorandum of Understanding between the Georgian and the Abkhaz sides at the negotiations held in Geneva

The first round of negotiations on a comprehensive settlement of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict took place in Geneva from 30 November to

1 December 1993, under the aegis of the United Nations, with the Russian Federation as facilitator and a representative of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE).

The negotiations were held in accordance with Security Council resolutions 849 (1993) of 9 July 1993, 854 (1993) of 6 August 1993, 858 (1993) of 24 August 1993, 876 (1993) of 19 October 1993 and 881 (1993) of 4 November 1993.

Agreement was reached concerning the following:

1. In accordance with the main provisions of the Sochi Agreement of 27 July 1993 on the cease-fire in Abkhazia and the mechanism for monitoring its observance, the parties commit themselves not to use force or the threat of force against each other for the period of the continuing negotiations to achieve a comprehensive political settlement of the conflict in Abkhazia.

2. The parties consider that the maintenance of peace would be promoted by an increase in the number of international observers in the zone of conflict and by the use of international peace-keeping forces, subject to agreement by the Security Council and the Secretary-General.

3. As a gesture of good will, the parties will exchange prisoners of war before 20 December 1993, in accordance with the principle of all for all, without any preconditions.

Urgent measures will be taken to find those missing, for which purpose the parties will give each other the appropriate lists.

In addition, measures will be taken for the reburial of the dead.

4. The parties consider it their duty to find an urgent solution to the problem of refugees and displaced persons.

They undertake to create conditions for the voluntary, safe and speedy return of refugees to the places of their permanent residence in all regions of Abkhazia.

The apartments, houses, plots of land and property that they left shall be returned to all those refugees who return.

The parties express the hope for participation by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the solution to the problem of refugees.

5. The parties appeal to the international community to render assistance in re-establishing basic supply systems to the population in the conflict zone and to render to all victims of the conflict various types of humanitarian assistance.

6. The parties express the wish that for purposes of promoting economic recovery in the conflict zone an international commission be established with the participation of international and national organizations.

7. To prepare recommendations on the political status of Abkhazia, a group of experts, including representatives of the parties, the United Nations, the Russian Federation and CSCE will begin work in Moscow in early December 1993.

The group will submit its report at the next round of negotiations.

8. The next round of negotiations for a comprehensive settlement of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict under the aegis of the United Nations, with the Russian Federation as facilitator and with the participation of the CSCE representative, will begin on 11 January 1994 in Moscow or Geneva.

For the Georgian side

(Jaba Ioseliani)

For the United Nations

(Edouard Brunner)

In the presence of:

Russian Federation

(Boris Pastukhov)

For the Abkhaz side

(Sokrat Jinjolia)

CSCE

(Vincenzo Manno)