Peace Plans
Georgia has developed two documents reflecting its vision over the peaceful resolution of the Abkhaz conflict. One will be submitted to the international community, while the other document – the Abkhaz conflict resolution roadmap – will be designed for the authorities in the breakaway region, Irakli Alasania, the President Saakashvili’s aide for Abkhaz conflict issues, told Georgian lawmakers on May 15.
The documents were developed through the coordination of the Office of the State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues, the Foreign Ministry and the National Security Council, Alasania said at the hearing, which was held during a session of the Parliamentary Bureau uniting senior MPs and chairmen of the parliamentary committees and factions.
He said that the second document – the roadmap – will be handed over to the Abkhaz side.
“We will submit our roadmap to the Abkhaz side in a week and as soon as they become familiar with our proposals, we will launch closed-door consultations over both [Georgian and Abkhaz] proposals in order to coordinate the development of a joint [Georgian-Abkhaz] plan and if we accomplish this task the document will be publicized,” Alasania told the parliamentarians.
The Abkhaz side proposed its peace plan during talks in Tbilisi on May 15.
Alasania said that the Georgian government’s strategy on a peaceful resolution of the Abkhaz conflict will reflect Tbilisi’s major priorities related with the return of internally displaced persons; confidence building and security; economic rehabilitation; and the political status of Abkhazia.
“This plan will not be identical to the [one developed for] South Ossetian conflict resolution, since the Abkhaz conflict has unique characteristics. However, there will be some similarities,” Alasania said.
The government has already submitted a draft, “working version” of the document to the parliamentary leadership – in particular to Chairperson Nino Burjanadze. The government will submit a final version of the document to the Parliament after the visit of the representatives of the UN Secretary General’s Group of Friends on May 22-25.
The Parliament is expected to discuss the document at plenary sessions on June 6-9.
Some senior parliamentarians have already hinted that the discussions over the Abkhaz peace plan may coincide with the discussion of the issue related with Georgia’s possible withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
The issue is linked with the fate of the peacekeeping operation in breakaway Abkhazia. The Russian peacekeeping forces are deployed in Abkhazia under the aegis of the CIS.
In July, the Georgian Parliament is scheduled to discuss the Russian peacekeepers’ performance in Abkhazia and these discussions may result in the Parliament demanding that the Russian troops withdraw from Abkhazia.
Peacekeeping Operation
Irakli Alasania said that during the high-level visit of the representatives of the UN Secretary General’s Group of Friends, the Georgian side will launch official consultations over the possibility of changing the existing peacekeeping format in Abkhazia.
He said unofficial consultations with the representatives of the Group of Friends have been underway for three months already.
Alasania also noted that in March President Saakashvili sent a letter to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan proposing to change the current peacekeeping operation in Abkhazia.
“Unfortunately, they [the UN officials] refrained from replying to us,” Alasania said.
“Therefore, we are launching unilateral consultations with the Group of Friends over changing the [peacekeeping operation’s] format,” Alasania told Georgian lawmakers.
He also stressed that in parallel to this process, bilateral consultations with the Abkhaz side over the peacekeeping operation format is of crucial importance.
He said that the Abkhaz side perceives the Russian peacekeeping operation as a guarantor of security and “does not trust Tbilisi’s or other international guarantees; but at the same time, they [the Abkhaz side] understand very well that Tbilisi has launched serious consultations about withdrawing from the CIS.”
“In the event that the CIS component – which stands as a wall between the Georgians and Abkhazians in the peace process – is removed, we should intensify joint [Georgian-Abkhaz] measures in order to prevent any possible provocations,” Alasania warned.
He also noted that if Georgia withdraws from the CIS, Russia may block the presence of the UN observer mission in the conflict zone. The mandate of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) depends on the a decision by the UN Security Council. Alasania said that the Georgian authorities are also working over this scenario.
Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze noted at the hearing that Tbilisi, which until now has been preoccupied by South Ossetian conflict resolution, will intensify its efforts over the Abkhaz conflict as well.