On December 6 the OSCE Ministerial Council in Ljubljana unanimously adopted a statement on Georgia expressing support towards “the recent proposal” of Tbilisi to peacefully solve South Ossetian conflict. Adoption of this statement, which was support by all 55 member states of the OSCE, including Russia, was hailed in Tbilisi as a success.

Before adoption of this statement, Georgian and Russian delegations, led by the Foreign Ministers, held consultations, which mainly involved issues related with the South Ossetian conflict.

Tbilisi and Moscow were at odds over the versions of the Georgian side’s peace proposals. The Russian side claimed that the Action Plan, voiced by Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli in October does not coincide with the ‘three-stage’ peace plan voiced by President Saakashvili in September, 2004 at the UN General Assembly in New York. But the Georgian side claimed that all plans put forth by the Georgian side are in the line of the President Saakashvili’s proposals, but with the difference that the plan voiced by PM Nogaideli envisages detailed timeframe for implementing certain measures.

The statement adopted at the OSCE Ministerial Council reads: “We welcome the steps taken by the Georgian side to address the peaceful resolution of the conflict and believe that the recent proposals, in particular the Peace Plan built upon the initiatives of the President of Georgia presented at the 59th United Nations General Assembly [in September, 2004] and supported by the sides, will serve as a basis for the peaceful settlement of the conflict.”

According to the Georgian side “the recent proposal” is one voiced by PM Nogaideli in October at the OSCE Permanent Council, which is a detailed roadmap of objectives and steps that the Georgian authorities intend to undertake to foster a resolution to the South Ossetian conflict in the nearest future so that a final solution can be achieved by the end of 2006.

But the statement also includes a paragraph which notes the need to increase the effectiveness of existing negotiating format in frames of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission, involving the Georgian, South Ossetian, Russian and Russia’s North Ossetian sides.

“We underline the need to increase the effectiveness of existing negotiation mechanisms, including the Joint Control Commission, and to fully implement the decisions agreed within their framework,” the statement reads.

Tbilisi is insisting on changes in this Russian-led negotiating format through involvement in it representatives from the U.S. UE and OSCE as full-pledged members of the peace process. Moscow, as well as the South Ossetian side, is categorically against of making any changes in the current format.

The document also notes need for early meeting of Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli with South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity. At the recent JCC session in Ljubljana in November, the Russian and South Ossetian sides proposed holding of talks between Georgian and Russian Presidents with participation of South Ossetian and North Ossetian leaders, instead of talks between Nogaideli and Kokoity. This proposal was rejected by Tbilisi and condemned as “unconstructive.”

The statement also says that in recent months “the positive dynamics of the peace process have been disrupted by violent actions.”

The statement also calls for implementation of agreed measures for stabilization of the situation in South Ossetia, “in particular the early and complete demilitarization of the zone of conflict.”