ID :
165756
Fri, 03/04/2011 - 08:17
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/165756
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Geneva hosts new round of talks on Abkhazia, South Ossetia
GENEVA, March 4 (Itar-Tass) -- The fifteenth round of security and
stability discussions for Transcaucasia will be held in Geneva on Friday under the auspices of the UNO, EU and OSCE. The parties comprise Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Georgia, Russia and the United States and the meeting will traditionally go in two formats - security and humanitarian.
The Russian Foreign ministry said non-use of force and security
guarantees will highlight the consultations. It recalled that late in 2010 Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia made unilateral statements about non-use of force.
"However militant statements from the Georgian leadership in late
January considerably devalued the position of Georgia. The calls from
(Georgian President) Mikhail Saakashvili to 'see the New Year in in
Sukhum' have again triggered protests and concerns of the peoples of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The leadership of the republics stated it
would work in Geneva to conclude legal documents on the non-use of force.
The Russian side supports such a stance," the ministry said.
It also called on Georgia to stop calling Russian troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia as occupants.
"The haunting intention of Georgian representatives to pose Russian military contingents and border guards in Abkhazia and South Ossetia as certain "occupational" troops are absurd and have nothing in common with the real terms and aims of their deployment," the ministry said.
As for the humanitarian dimension, the ministry said Russia continues to render assistance to Abkhazia, Georgia and South Ossetia "in designing acceptable approaches to the return of refugees and displaced people on the basis of recognized standards of international humanitarian law."
Last month Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said he did not expect any major progress at the consultations.
"Unfortunately, I do not expect anything specific from that round of talks," he told Tass in Washington, adding Russia would continue to insist that Georgia signs agreements on the non-use of force with the two former provinces which declared independence after the 2008 aggression. Instead Georgia wants to negotiate non-use of force with Russia rather than with the two newly independent republics.
"Georgia has exhausted the possibility to advance any initiatives. On November 23 we have taken on a legal obligation in the European parliament not to use force. Now Moscow has to take the same international legal obligation," he said.
stability discussions for Transcaucasia will be held in Geneva on Friday under the auspices of the UNO, EU and OSCE. The parties comprise Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Georgia, Russia and the United States and the meeting will traditionally go in two formats - security and humanitarian.
The Russian Foreign ministry said non-use of force and security
guarantees will highlight the consultations. It recalled that late in 2010 Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia made unilateral statements about non-use of force.
"However militant statements from the Georgian leadership in late
January considerably devalued the position of Georgia. The calls from
(Georgian President) Mikhail Saakashvili to 'see the New Year in in
Sukhum' have again triggered protests and concerns of the peoples of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The leadership of the republics stated it
would work in Geneva to conclude legal documents on the non-use of force.
The Russian side supports such a stance," the ministry said.
It also called on Georgia to stop calling Russian troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia as occupants.
"The haunting intention of Georgian representatives to pose Russian military contingents and border guards in Abkhazia and South Ossetia as certain "occupational" troops are absurd and have nothing in common with the real terms and aims of their deployment," the ministry said.
As for the humanitarian dimension, the ministry said Russia continues to render assistance to Abkhazia, Georgia and South Ossetia "in designing acceptable approaches to the return of refugees and displaced people on the basis of recognized standards of international humanitarian law."
Last month Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said he did not expect any major progress at the consultations.
"Unfortunately, I do not expect anything specific from that round of talks," he told Tass in Washington, adding Russia would continue to insist that Georgia signs agreements on the non-use of force with the two former provinces which declared independence after the 2008 aggression. Instead Georgia wants to negotiate non-use of force with Russia rather than with the two newly independent republics.
"Georgia has exhausted the possibility to advance any initiatives. On November 23 we have taken on a legal obligation in the European parliament not to use force. Now Moscow has to take the same international legal obligation," he said.
