Geneva Talks Launched

• 03.17.2015, 14:32
•  Region,  World

The thirty first round of international talks aimed at encouraging security and stability in the volatile South Caucasus region opens in Geneva on Tuesday, TASS reports.

Participants of the two-day consultations, held under the auspices of the United Nations, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), are representatives from Abkhazia, Georgia, Russia, the United States, and South Ossetia. Traditionally, discussions are conducted in two working groups focusing on practical issues of ensuring security and stability in the region, and on humanitarian issues, including problems of displaced people and refugees.

The participants in these working groups are expected to pay particular attention on guarantees for Georgia’s non-use of force against neighboring states.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week noted that Moscow considered the Geneva discussions a very useful format.

"Talking about security, we have long been calling for adopting a document on the non-use of force," - Lavrov said on Wednesday after talks with Abkhaz counterpart Vyacheslav Chirikba.

Russia’s initiative to adopt a joint statement of all parties to the Geneva discussions on the non-use of force has been subject to negotiations in this format for several years. But Tbilisi has balked at the idea, demanding that Russia should make a unilateral statement on the non-use of force against Georgia. Moscow does not consider itself a party to the conflict of five years ago and refuses to make such a deal with Tbilisi.

"I want to stress that Georgia remains committed to the format and essence of the Geneva international discussions. We are ready to discuss solutions to the existing situation calmly, openly and constructively with all the other participants. We call on Russian participants to show similar professionalism and responsibility towards their own commitments," the Georgian negotiator said.

Earlier it was reported that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and leader of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov would sign treaty on "alliance and integration" on March 18. Georgian chief negotiator in the Geneva talks, Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Dondua said in a statement on Friday that Moscow’s choice of date for signing of this so called treaty, coinciding with the next round of the Geneva international discussions, is a "deliberate insult" of these talks and co-chairs from the EU, UN and OSCE.