At the basis of the Georgian – Abkhaz conflict lies the illegal act of incorporating Abkhazia within Georgia, with the rights of an autonomous republic, in February 1931. From that time until the beginning of the Georgian – Abkhaz war 1992 – 1993, Abkhaz people fought for national self-determination, and the restoration of their statehood.

After the conclusion of the Georgian – Abkhaz war in November 1993, the process of negotiating a peaceful settlement of the conflict began in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations, with the assistance of Russia and the participation of the OSCE. The first two rounds of negotiations took place in Geneva from 28th November to 1st December 1993, and from 11th to 13th January 1994. The result of the Geneva stage of the settlement was the signing of a memorandum about understanding, and a communiqué about the second round of negotiations, according to which the sides refused to use force or the threat of using force against each other, and expressed mutual agreement about using a Russian military contingent as peacekeeping forces within the conflict zone. Discussing the problem of refugees, the sides came to agreement at the first stage to start the accomplishment of the process of returning refugees and displaced persons to Abkhazia, exclusively to the Gal region.

The Geneva stage of the negotiations revealed the extent of the acute problems which were defining the content of the further process of settlement. These problems are the state and legal relationship between Georgia and Abkhazia, refugees, and the economic rehabilitation of Abkhazia.

The next regular round of negotiations took place in Moscow on 4th April 1994, at which the statement concerning measures of political settlement of the Georgian – Abkhaz conflict was signed. The statement was signed by both sides of the conflict, representatives of the United Nations, OSCE, and the Russian Federation. This document confirmed the lack of an officially registered state and legal relationship between Georgia and Abkhazia.

An annex to this statement is a quadripartite agreement about the voluntary returning of refugees and displaced persons, in accordance with which the sides revealed their readiness to create conditions for the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of displaced persons to their places of residence.

Following these documents, on 14th May 1994 in Moscow, the participants in the negotiations signed an agreement about cease-fire and separation of forces (Moscow Agreement), with the aim of introducing Russian peacekeeping forces to the conflict zone.

Until the present time, this document is the basic agreement regulating the negotiation process between Georgia and Abkhazia. Abkhazia does not negotiate on political status, which is determined and fixed by the constitution of the republic of Abkhazia, and by the 1999 referendum. The object of negotiations is the determination of principles of the future relationship between Georgia and Abkhazia.

A new stage of negotiation began in the summer of 1997, when new positive progress appeared. This leap connects with the following events : Discussion of new project of Protocol of Georgian – Abkhaz settlement ; Visit of Republic of Abkhazia President to Tbilisi ; Initiative of United Nations Secretary-General regarding activation of the role of the United Nations in the settlement process.

On 13th June 1997, the sides began to discuss the new project of Protocol. Article 2 of the Protocol, concerning the relationship between Georgia and Abkhazia, is based upon earlier agreements reached, in particular upon the regulations of the Statement of 4th April 1994, and reflects the limit of the compromise to which the Abkhaz side is ready to go. The Georgian side again refused to sign the document, trying to change it completely.

On 14th August 1997, due to the initiative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, a meeting was held in Tbilisi between the Georgian and Abkhaz Presidents, at which a joint Statement was read out, according to which both sides pledged to avoid using force or the threat of force against each other, and they expressed readiness to solve all issues exclusively by peaceful means. Almost simultaneously, with activation of negotiations through the mediation of Russia, the United Nations Secretary-General announced an initiative of activation of the United Nations role in the Georgian – Abkhaz settlement. A part of this initiative was the appointment of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Georgia as Head of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia in the conflict zone. In this regard, it should be considered as the resumption of negotiations within the Geneva process, the first round of which took place on 23rd – 25th June 1997.

During the first round it distinctly appeared the intention of representatives of the “Group of Friends of Georgia” to point out as mediators what in fact the expansion of the existing form of negotiations meant.

The propaganda “machine” of Georgia is carrying out a huge job using the problem of refugees, accusing Abkhazia of ethnic cleansing of Georgian people. As mentioned previously, the Budapest summit OSCE adopted the resolution containing this false thesis, despite that the “Report by the United Nations Secretary-General Mission for establishing of facts for investigation of human rights in Abkhazia” on 17th November 1993 did not confirm the fact of ethnic cleansing. In this report, it is particularly stated that the considerable movement of population happened as a consequence of war actions.

The Abkhaz side never refused to solve the problem of the organized return of refugees, and due to this, to the Gal region only, more that 60,000 people have returned. Approximately 30,000 Georgian people did not leave Abkhazia at all. At the same time, the uncontrollable return of refugees seriously destabilized the situation in the places where they returned.

Within the negotiation process, according to understandings, for discussion of economic questions (power engineering, transport, communications and others) the participants in the settlement process established the Coordination Council.

The Georgian side, in spite of agreements, began to combine the realization of understandings in the field of economics with the question of the legal status of Abkhazia ; and after the introduction of economic sanctions against Abkhazia, began to combine their lifting with the problems of refugees returning. Such an attitude on the Georgian side to practical problems led to the breakdown of the work of the Committee. However, this position was not condemned by the other participants in the negotiations. Moreover, the Russian Federation Government, in the Resolution of 19th December 1994, strengthened the frontier at the Russia / Abkhazia border, and on 19th January 1996 the Russian Federation supported the decision taken by the Council of the Heads of the Commonwealth of Independent States to introduce the economic and political isolation of Abkhazia.

A series of meetings of Georgian and Abkhaz sides, on the consolidation of measures of confidence within the Geneva peace process under the auspices of the United Nations (Athens, Istanbul, Yalta), were aimed at ensuring favourable conditions for continuation of the peace process of settlement, and the prevention of escalation of the situation in the conflict zone.

The sides repeatedly confirmed mutual commitments regarding the non-use of force or threats of force against each other whilst resolving any issues with the aim of reaching total settlement of the conflict. Unfortunately, it needs to be stated that after some time following these meetings, the situation was repeatedly aggravated in the conflict zone.

For example, six months after the Yalta meeting of 15th to 16th March 2001, Georgia undertook a large scale armed act of provocation with the use of international terrorists in the Kodori Valley in the Republic of Abkhazia. As a result of this action, members of the civilian population were killed, as were United Nations personnel in a helicopter shot by terrorists.