Security
Tbilisi Sabotages the Nonaggression Pact
On December 16, the 14th meeting took place in Geneva as part of the international discussions on security and stability in the Transcaucasus
The meeting was attended by delegations from Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Georgia, Russia, the USA, as well as representatives of the EU, UN and OSCE. At the talks the Abkhazian side was represented by the presidential envoy Vyacheslav Chirikba, while on the part of South Ossetia, his colleague Boris Chochiyev spoke. The Georgian delegation was headed by Secretary of National Security Council of Georgia Giga Bokeria. On the Russian side present was the secretary of state - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin.
The main issue of the talks was the discussion of the nonuse of force in the Transcaucasus. Let us remember that it has been already said in the pronouncements of the President of Georgia on 23 November of this year, and of the Presidents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on 6 December. For the first time the question of signing such a document by parties had been raised during the fifth round on May 18-19 of this year. At that time South Ossetia presented a memorandum of the nonuse of force.
This time, however, as Deputy Spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexei Sazonov said at a briefing in Moscow, “further advances in this most important direction for the security of all three states were prevented at the meeting by unconstructive position of the representatives of Georgia, who actually ignored the statement by the neighbors. Once again Tbilisi’s unwillingness to develop respectful and good-neighborly relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia became obvious.”
On the eve of consultations, the co-chairman on the part of the EU, Pierre Morel, had made to understand that the European Union expected written confirmations of the Georgian president’s promises not to use force.
Georgia still demands from Russia to also give a promise not to use force but Russia is not a party to the conflict, but merely acts as a facilitator and welcomed the declaration for non-use of force, made by Sukhumi and Tskhinvali before the 14th round of Geneva talks.
Meanwhile, at the Geneva talks, the cooperation for the prevention of incidents in the Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-South Ossetian borders was highly appreciated.
It is noted that despite all these incidents, in general, the situation in the region remains stable, is characterized by a positive momentum, including the sphere of border crossing by the local population.
In addition, topical issues of improving the situation of refugees and displaced persons were discussed. The Abkhaz side has presented concrete proposals on the registration and verification of refugees, and the South Ossetian delegation expressed readiness to arrange the return of refugees to the Leningorsk region of the republic.
All participants confirmed their intention to cooperate on these matters with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
They also examined the OSCE proposals to restore gas and water supply in the frontier zone of Georgia and South Ossetia. The next meeting in Geneva is scheduled for early March 2011
The main issue of the talks was the discussion of the nonuse of force in the Transcaucasus. Let us remember that it has been already said in the pronouncements of the President of Georgia on 23 November of this year, and of the Presidents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on 6 December. For the first time the question of signing such a document by parties had been raised during the fifth round on May 18-19 of this year. At that time South Ossetia presented a memorandum of the nonuse of force.
This time, however, as Deputy Spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexei Sazonov said at a briefing in Moscow, “further advances in this most important direction for the security of all three states were prevented at the meeting by unconstructive position of the representatives of Georgia, who actually ignored the statement by the neighbors. Once again Tbilisi’s unwillingness to develop respectful and good-neighborly relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia became obvious.”
On the eve of consultations, the co-chairman on the part of the EU, Pierre Morel, had made to understand that the European Union expected written confirmations of the Georgian president’s promises not to use force.
Georgia still demands from Russia to also give a promise not to use force but Russia is not a party to the conflict, but merely acts as a facilitator and welcomed the declaration for non-use of force, made by Sukhumi and Tskhinvali before the 14th round of Geneva talks.
Meanwhile, at the Geneva talks, the cooperation for the prevention of incidents in the Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-South Ossetian borders was highly appreciated.
It is noted that despite all these incidents, in general, the situation in the region remains stable, is characterized by a positive momentum, including the sphere of border crossing by the local population.
In addition, topical issues of improving the situation of refugees and displaced persons were discussed. The Abkhaz side has presented concrete proposals on the registration and verification of refugees, and the South Ossetian delegation expressed readiness to arrange the return of refugees to the Leningorsk region of the republic.
All participants confirmed their intention to cooperate on these matters with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
They also examined the OSCE proposals to restore gas and water supply in the frontier zone of Georgia and South Ossetia. The next meeting in Geneva is scheduled for early March 2011
