VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
On May 14, 1994, a Russia-brokered Agreement on a Ceasefire and Separation of Forces in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict zone was signed in Moscow. In June of 1994, the Collective Peacekeeping Forces (CPF) of the CIS were deployed to Abkhazia. These forces were later dissolved after Russia recognised Abkhazia's independence. After the UN Security Council mandate on Abkhazia failed to be extended, the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) ceased operations on June 16, 2009.
Since February of 2003, the UN secretary-general's Group of the Friends of Georgia (GFG), which consists of Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States and France, has held several high-level meetings in Geneva to seek an agreement between the two sides involved in the conflict for international security guarantees and the non-resumption of hostilities. Between 2004 and 2006, the UN secretary-general's Special Representative to Georgia chaired several meetings concerning security-related issues and security guarantees between Georgia and Abkhazia.
All negotiations were discontinued after Georgia attacked South Ossetia in August 2008.
On August 11, 2008, the President Sergei Bagapsh declared martial law in the Abkhaz republic.
On August 12, 2008, Abkhazia launched a military operation to expel Georgian military units from the Kodori Gorge and establish control over the Upper Kodori Valley. On August 13, the gorge was cleared, with power vested in the civil administration of Abkhazia's Gulripsh District. On August 14 martial law was lifted.
On August 15, President Bagapsh approved and signed the foundations of an agreement to resolve conflicts in Georgia. The principles of peaceful settlement were developed by the presidents of Russia and France.
In accordance with the so-called Medvedev-Sarkozy arrangements of September 8, 2008, international discussions began on October 15, 2008 in Geneva on the issues of security and refugees in the South Caucasus. These meetings have been, in essence, an attempt to find a common approach to addressing problems in the region and take into account the new situation after Georgia's aggression against South Ossetia in August 2008. Another five rounds of meetings took place in November, December of 2008, February, May and July of 2009 in Geneva. It is important to note that Tskhinvali and Sukhumi were given the opportunity to address the international community directly and discuss relevant South Caucasian issues without intermediaries.
