The second Georgian-South Ossetian Dialogue took place in Brussels on 7–12 June 2005 under the auspices of The International Institute for Strategic Studies. Ten Georgian and 10 South Ossetian senior officials and representatives of non-governmental organisations, as well as a representative from North Ossetia-Alania (Russian Federation), took part in the meeting. The objectives of the meeting were to continue discussions and to explore new approaches towards the resolution of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict. The unofficial format of the meeting stipulated that all participants attended in their personal capacity, that no decisions were taken at the meeting and that no obligations were implied by the discussions which took place.
During the meeting, the participants discussed ways to reduce tensions and increase mutual confidence between the two sides of the conflict. Particular attention was given to restitution issues involving among other things the possible return of property to ethnic Ossetians resident in Georgia who were forced to leave their homes in 1989 and during the 1990s. The Georgian participants presented information about the preparation of a draft Law on Restitution. The Ossetian participants emphasised that future cooperation on restitution required a proper legal basis and special agreements. They also underlined the importance of political and legal evaluation of the Georgian government’s policies, which had caused the armed conflict, and some actions committed during the conflict. This was seen as a confidence-building measure and a step towards the development of security guarantees.
Participants also discussed the current state and future development of economic cooperation between the parties, including the involvement of international organisations. Various suggestions were discussed for developing a legal basis and effective mechanisms for the expansion of economic cooperation on bilateral and multilateral levels.
Erol Kaymak from Eastern Mediterranean University gave a presentation on the conflict-resolution experience in Cyprus, and Belgian Senator Berni Collas spoke about the Belgian federal model, particularly in regard to the rights of the German-speaking community. Judy Batt and Gov Lynch from the EU Institute for Security Studies gave presentations on the experience of Euroregions and on EU policy towards the South Caucasus. Uwe Muller from the Directorate General of Political Affairs at the Council of Europe spoke about the role of the Council of Europe in promoting democratic reforms in the region. The meeting was facilitated by IISS Senior Fellow Oksana Antonenko. Professor Bruno Coppieters and IISS Research Fellow for Russia Col. Christopher Langton chaired some sessions and contributed to the discussions.
The participants visited the European Commission, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, which next year takes over the chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OCSE). During these informal and unofficial meetings, representatives of these organisations indicated their growing interest in the South Caucasus region and expressed readiness to assist with the peaceful resolution of regional conflicts. The EU representatives spoke about the European Neighbourhood Policy, EU economic rehabilitation programmes in the conflict zone and EU–Russian cooperation, including social and economic development programmes in the North Caucasus. During the meeting at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, participants underlined the importance of a peaceful resolution to the conflict and spoke strongly against any attempts to resolve conflict by force. During a meeting with the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the OSCE task force participants discussed the role of OSCE in promoting the peaceful resolution of the conflict and the economic rehabilitation of the conflict zone during the Belgian chairmanship.
The meeting was conducted in a constructive atmosphere and all participants demonstrated an active and realistic approach towards the issues discussed. The participants agreed that the informal dialogue promoted mutual understanding and created a favourable atmosphere for advancing official negotiation on the resolution of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict. They expressed support for the continuation of the Dialogue under the auspices of The International Institute for Strategic Studies. This meeting was financed by the EU Rapid Reaction Mechanism.
