Temporary restrictions in Abkhazian border zone lifted after Olympics

MOSCOW, March 27 (Itar-Tass) -Temporary restrictions imposed in the zone of the Russian-Abkhazian border for the period of preparation and holding of the Olympics in Sochi are lifted, a meeting in Geneva announced on Wednesday, when discussing security and stability in the Trans-Caucasian region. Representatives from Abkhazia, Georgia, South Ossetia, Russia, the United States, the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Stability in Europe participated in the discussion. The Russian delegation was headed by State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin. They exchanged views on the situation on the Abkhazian-Georgian and South Ossetian-Georgian borders, which was relatively stable on the whole, a foreign ministry source said, commenting on results of the meeting. However, there were reports about resumed attempts of the Georgian side in recent time to destabilize the situation in border areas, and confirming videos were shown to the participants in the meeting. A positive appraisal was given to the work of the joint mechanism to prevent and respond to incidents on the South Ossetian-Georgian border, where already the 43rd meeting was held in March this year, the source said. All participants noted the positive atmosphere of such meetings and called for resumption of work of such a mechanism on the Georgian-Abkhazian border. When discussing no use of force in the Trans-Caucasian region, they continued work on a draft joint statement, the source said. The group on humanitarian issues noted Russia's efforts to promote social and economic development of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, including health care, on which a special informational session was held. The participants supported the South Ossetian side's demand to conduct a real investigation into the fates of residents of the republic who had been missing since August 2008. Abkhazian representatives made a report on continuing discrimination against its citizens to give foreign visas to them and recognize education documents. An agreement was reached to hold the next meeting in mid-June this year. Karasin also met in Geneva with the managing director of the European External Action Service for Europe and Central Asia, Luis Felipe Fernandez de la Pena. They discussed Ukraine and the situation in the Trans-Caucasian region. Learn more on itar-tass.com