Meeting on Georgian-Ossetian conflict held in Portugal

LISBON, 30 October 2002 - From 26 to 28 October 2002, the Eighth Meeting of the Experts' Groups of authorized delegations of Georgian and South Ossetian sides within the framework of the negotiation process on full-scale resolution of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict was held in Castelo Branco (Portugal), with mediation of the Russian Federation, participation of representatives of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, in the presence of the European Commission representatives.

The meeting was attended by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Antonio Martins da Cruz, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal.

The participants to the meeting discussed the situation around the zone of conflict, confidence-building measures, security guarantees and implementation of the agreements, as well as the role of economic rehabilitation in the zone of conflict in political settlement.

The participants to the meeting agreed that all previous meetings of the experts' groups and the discussion of different aspects of political settlement including the draft of the intermediary document served to improve mutual understanding between the sides in the conflict and expanded the basis for a search of mutually acceptable ways for conflict resolution.

Having stated with regret that in the recent months, due to a number of reasons, the positive dynamics of the settlement process had been significantly upset, the participants to the meeting expressed their common view on the need to take effective measures preventing further escalation of the situation.

The sides reconfirmed the importance of adhering to the principles of peaceful settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict spelled out in the Sochi Agreement of 24 June 1992.

Noting the role of economic rehabilitation of the conflict zone in the political settlement, the participants to the meeting emphasized once again the importance of implementing rehabilitation projects for the creation of favourable conditions towards political settlement, as well the significance of achieving progress in the process of political settlement for attracting resources needed for economic rehabilitation and development of the zone of conflict.

Participants to the meeting were informed about the new proposals of the European Commission regarding the implementation of rehabilitation projects.

The experts' groups worked out a number of concrete recommendations meant to give a new impetus to the process of full-scale settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.

The sides expressed gratitude to the Portuguese Chairmanship of the OSCE and the Government of Portugal for the invitation to hold the Eighth Meeting of the Experts' Groups in Castelo Branco and Lisbon, creation of favourable atmosphere for fruitful work.