Yalta Declaration of the Georgian and Abkhaz Sides and Programme of Action on Confidence-Building

• Country/entity

  Georgia
  Abkhazia
  
• Region

  Europe and Eurasia
  Europe and Eurasia
  
• Agreement name

  Yalta Declaration of the Georgian and Abkhaz Sides and Programme of Action on Confidence-Building
• Date

  16 Mar 2001
• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed
• Interim arrangement

  Yes
• Agreement/conflict level

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

  Pre-negotiation/process
• Conflict nature

  Government/territory
• Peace process

  Abkhazia peace process
• Parties

  The Georgian Side was represented by a delegation headed by Mr. Giorgi Arsenishvili; The Abkhaz Side was represented by a delegation headed by Mr. Viacheslav Tsugba.
• Third parties

  Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Dieter Boden; Representatives of the Russian Federation as facilitator, representatives of the Group of Friends of the United Nations Secretary-General for Georgia — France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States — representatives of OSCE, the Chief Military Observer of UNOMIG, the Commander of the CIS Collective Peacekeeping Forces and the Executive Secretary of the Georgian-Abkhaz Joint Coordination Commission also participated in the Meeting. At the invitation of the Ukraine.
• Description

  Sides reaffirm commitment to peaceful resolution and safe return of refugees. Sides requesting UN, the Group of Friends of the UNSG for Georgia, the OSCE and CIS to become guarantors for the process. Sides agree to adopt programme of confidence-building measures annexed to Declaration.

• Agreement document

  GE_010316_YaltaDeclarationGeorgianAbkhazSides.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

YALTA DECLARATION OF THE GEORGIAN AND ABKHAZ SIDES

15-16 March 2001

The third Meeting of Confidence - building Measures between the Georgian and Abkhaz Sides within the framework of the Geneva peace process under the auspices of the United Nations, took place in Yalta on 15 and 16 March 2001, under the chairmanship of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary - General, Mr. Dieter Boden.

During the Meeting, in their desire to ensure favorable conditions for the continuation of the peace process so as to achieve a settlement and prevent a deterioration of the situation in the conflict zone, the Sides reaffirmed their commitments regarding the non-use of force against each other in resolving any disputes, with a view to achieving a comprehensive political settlement of the conflict.

They also noted the importance of reaching mutual understanding and accord, and placed special emphasis on their determination to intensify efforts to create the necessary conditions for the voluntary and safe return of refugees to their permanent residences, in the first phase to the Gali district within the old borders.

The Sides noted the failure to prevent the resumption of military activities in May 1998, which appeared to be, inter alia, a consequence of the absence of reliable guarantees for the maintenance of peace.

In the course of these events, there had also been a failure to employ in full all the mechanisms for the prevention of hostilities, including the CIS Collective Peacekeeping Forces and UNOMING.

At the same time, the sides recognize the stabilizing role of the CIS Collective Peacekeeping Forces and UNOMING in the conflict zone.

On the basis of the above, striving to secure a durable peace, the Sides requested the Special Representative of the United nations Secretary- General to appeal to the United Nations, the Group of Friends of the United Nations Secretary - General for Georgia, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and CIS to become guarantors for the non-resumption of hostilities, the steady and safe return of refugees and displaced persons, in the first phase to the Gali district within the old borders, and to elaborate, with the participation of the Sides, the mechanism to implement these guarantees.

In case of a treat of military clashes or the resumption of military clashes, the CIS Collective Peacekeeping Forces, in accordance with their mandate of 26 May 1995, will undertake immediate measures to disengage military groups of the belligerents, along the disengagement line determined by the Moscow Agreement of 14 May 1994.

The sides reaffirm their commitments regarding the observance of the cease-fire accords.

They also reaffirm their obligations to prevent actions, which would threaten the life and security of the personnel of the CIS Collective Peacekeeping Forces and UNOMING, and other international personnel deployed in the conflict zone.

The sides stressed that confidence-building measure are an important element of the peace process, facilitating progress towards a comprehensive settlement of the conflict.

On the basis of the above, the Sides agreed to adopt the Programme of Action of Confidence-building between the Georgian and Abkhaz Sides.

The Sides noted that the Special Representative of the Secretary - General would inform him about the outcome of this Meeting, and that the Secretary - General would subsequently report thereon to the UnitedNations Security Council.

The Sides and all the participants in the Meeting expressed their deep gratitude to the Government

of Ukraine for the invitation to hold the Meeting in Yalta, for its hospitality and for its active role in creating a constructive atmosphere, which made it possible to achieve important and substantial results.

For the Georgian Side G. Arsenishvili

For the Abkhaz Side V. Tsugba

For the United Nations D. Boden

For the CIS Collective Peacekeeping Forces N. Sidorichev

Annex to the Programme of Action on Confidence-building between the Georgian and Abkhaz Sides

The third meeting on Confidence-building Measures between the Georgian and Abkhaz Sides took place on 15 and 16 March in Yalta, at the invitation of the Government on Ukraine, under the chairmanship of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Georgia, Mr. Dieter Boden, within the framework of the Geneva peace process for the settlement of the conflict under the auspices of the United Nations.

The Georgian Side was represented by a delegation headed by Mr. Giorgi Arsenishvili.

The Abkhaz Side was represented by a delegation headed by Mr. Viacheslav Tsugba.

Representatives of the Russian federation as facilitator, representatives of the Group of Friends of the United nations Secretary-general for Georgia - France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States - representatives of OSCE, the chief military Observer of UNOMIG, the Commander of CIS Collective the CIS Collective Peacekeeping Forces and the Executive Secretary of the Georgian - Abkhaz Joint Coordination Commission also participated in the Meeting.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine His Excellency Mr. Anatoli Zleko, welcomed the participants in the meeting and delivered an address from His Excellency the President of Ukraine, Mr. Leonid Kuchma.

On 14 March 2001, the President of Ukraine met the heads of the delegation of two Sides and the special representative of the United Nations Secretary – General for Georgia.

During the meeting the Sides,

Noting the importance of confidence-building measures for the strengthening of peace and concord and the achievement of reconciliation, and placing special emphasis on their determination to intensify efforts in this field;

Proceeding from the fact that confidence-building measures are by nature an integral part of the Geneva peace process under the auspices of the united Nations, which is facilitating progress towards a comprehensive political settlement of the conflict;

Have agreed on the following:

1.The two Sides recognize the need to improve and reinvigorate efforts in the field of confidence-building measures within the framework of the Geneva peace process.

In this connection, they reaffirm their readiness to implement in full the decisions adopted at the Athens and Istanbul Meetings on Confidence-building Measures.

Moreover, the Sides declare their intention to implement fully the decisions adopted at the Yalta meeting on Confidence-building Measures, including those elaborated with the participation of non-governmental organizations.

2. The Sides establish, within the framework of the Coordinating Council, a mechanism for reporting progress made in implementing the agreed Confidence-building Measures.

To this ed, the Sides undertake to create and maintain a database containing information on the progress made in implementing the projects.

The database will be accessible via electronic means to all the participants in the peace process.

The question of its funding will be discussed further.

3. The sides designate the representatives who will inform the Coordinating Council at its future meetings of the progress made in implementing the Confidence-building Measures.

4. In order to ensure the most effective implementation of the Confidence-building Measures, both Sides undertake to provide, as necessary, the organizational and technical support for such implementation, including the preparation of the necessary travel documents and the provision of venues for meetings, and also undertake to encourage the development of bilateral contacts in general.

The Sides commend the work of the Bilateral Georgian-Abkhaz Coordination Commission, reaffirm their readiness to provide it with necessary assistance and, in this connection, request the United Nations to facilitate its work and to provide technical, financial and other support.

5. The Sides approved the Annex containing the list of specific measures on confidence-building measures that are an integral part of the present Programme.

Annex to the Programme of Action on Confidence-building between the Georgian and Abkhaz Sides

The present list of specific confidence-building measures has been prepared on the basis of the suggestions put forward during the Yalta Meeting, which took place on 15 and 16 march 2001.

This list is not exhaustive, and additional proposals by the Sides will be welcome.

The measures proposed constitute recommendations for further action.

The Sides agreed that the modalities for the implementations of these measures would be discussed at the upcoming session of the Coordinating Council.

Each Side shall promptly notify the Special representative in writing of the name of its representative designated in accordance with paragraph 3 of the programme of Action on Confidence-building between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides.

1. To organize the meeting of youth representatives of both Sides in Tsinandali.

2. To organize meetings of representatives of different political circles of both Sides.

3. To support the cooperation of organizations of war veterans and invalids of both Sides.

4. To support the continuation of meetings of the Elders of both Sides.

5. To support the conduct of seminars of young scientists of both Sides, within the framework of the projects of the Tbilisi School of political Research.

6. To organize meetings of students, instructors and lecturers at universities and other higher educational institutions of both Sides, including historians, with a view to restoring scientific ties and the exchange of information and lectures.

7. To support the continuation of contacts between the directors of the Tbilisi and Sukhumi libraries.

8. To organize meetings of the representatives of the Union of Writers of both Sides.

9. To support the initiative to resume “Sukhumpribor” activities, with the participation of the representatives of both Sides.

10. To support the continuation of meetings of aviation representatives of both Sides.

11. To continue close cooperation on the question of moving radioactive wastes currently located at the Sukhumi Physic—technical Institute to a safe storage place.

12. To establish cooperation in winemaking.

13. To promote media coverage of the process of mutual understanding between the Sides within the framework of the implementation of the Programme of Action on Confidence-building, including the activities of the Coordinating Council, its working groups and the Bilateral Georgian-Abkhaz Coordination Commission, as well as the implementation of joint economic, cultural and educational projects, the activities of non-governmental organizations, etc.

14. To broaden the exchange of newspapers between the Georgian and Abkhaz Sides by exchanging an equal number of copies of Sakartvelos Respublica and Apsny, with the financial and material support of the United Nations and OSCE.

15. For faster exchange of information, to provide technical support in setting up direct electronic communications between Apsnypress and Kavkazpress and other media agencies of both Sides, with the assistance of the United Nations.