Concerning the results of the 31st round of the Geneva International Discussions
Regular round of the Geneva International Discussions was held on March 17-18, 2015 in Geneva. Official mission from South Ossetia, headed by Murat Dzhioev, the Plenipotentiary of the President of the Republic of South Ossetia on post-conflict settlement, missions from Abkhazia, Georgia, Russia, the USA as well as representatives of the EU, the UN and OSCE took part in negotiations.
As earlier, increased focus during the discussions that are regularly carried out upon Medvedev-Sarkozy's agreements dated August, 12 and September 8, 2008, was on providing guarantees of non-use of force by Georgia against South Ossetia and Abkhazia and the problem of maintaining security and stability in the region. South Ossetian party emphasized the matter of principle is boosting the work on a legally binding bilateral agreement on non-use of force which would have firm international warranties, as it is the major task of the Geneva International Discussions.
Delegates from South Ossetia rejected the attempts made by representatives of Georgia who tried to impose discussion of questions that had not been included in the coordinated agenda of the Geneva discussions.
South Ossetian delegation urged once again other participants of the discussions to admit at the current round a joint statement on a commitment of all parties to the principle of non-use of force. Earlier the draft statement had been delivered by Russian delegation. It had been discussed for several rounds but due to nonconstructivity of Georgian delegation the final version of the document wasn’t prepared. For this reason the document was again under discussion during this round.
Relative stability about Ossetian-Georgian border, absence of serious incidents and decrease in number of violations about the border were marked within discussion of security issues. On the other hand, the destabilizing activity of Georgian party in damaging border markers set up by the Ossetians, increasing informational tension on problems of border and entry points, as well as speculating on the interests of those who live near the frontier, was noted. Ossetian representatives reminded once again of the proposal made to Georgia on getting to collaboration on the frontier delimitation.
The participants of the discussions noted the importance and productivity of regularly held meetings around Ossetian-Georgian border as well as “the hot line” organized upon IPRM.
Ossetian and Abkhazian parties expressed concern about the new steps made by Georgia in framework of establishing closer relations with NATO, infrastructural objects of the block being created on territory of the country and proceeding policy of making aggressive statements regards South Ossetia and Abkhazia led by Georgian officials.
On insistence of South Ossetia representatives discussion of missing people search and mutual jail release problems proceeded. South Ossetia delegation delivered a letter from Leonid Tibilov, the President of the Republic, addressed to Co-chairmen of the Discussions from the EU, the UN and the OSCE. The letter was calling for help in organizing mutual jail release of the Ossetian and Georgian citizens imprisoned in South Ossetia and Georgia and boosting the search of missing people. Members of South Ossetia mission suggested inviting to the Discussions the former representatives of the Council of Europe and experts who had been earlier engaged in work on problem of South Ossetia missing citizens’ search. Other humanitarian issues were discussed as well.
As Georgia keeps on lobbying its draft resolution on refugees among members of the General Assembly of the United Nations, using as an advantage absence of South Ossetian and Abkhazian representatives in the UN, missions of these countries considered discussion of this problem useless. Renewal of negotiations on subject of refugees will become possible when Georgia gives up turning artificially the problem into a political issue.
South Ossetian participants put on the sharepoint the issue of historical territories of East Ossetia, as it is Georgia exercising control over them nowadays. It was noted that the policy that pursues nailing down the results of forcing the Ossetians out, forbidding them to visit paternal homes and hieratic places, turning a blind eye to property capture and vandalism concerning objects of historical and cultural heritage is led by Georgian authorities.
As part of negotiations on future of Ossetian historical and cultural heritage, delegates from South Ossetia specified again, Georgia still ignores the problem of return of historical valuables, including the unique Tskhinval triptych and antiquities from the archeological excavations which were taken out from the territory of the country.
A joint meeting of two working groups was supposed to sum up the round. However the Georgian delegation ignored it.
Informational session on transnational threat perception was also organized within the 31st round the Discussions.
The next meeting in Geneva is scheduled for June, 2015.
March 19, 2015, Geneva