South Ossetia delegates at the Geneva International Discussions on Security and Stability in Transcaucasia met the Co-Chairs of the Discussions representing the EU, the OSCE and the UN, who arrived in Tskhinval on May 23 in anticipation of the coming 36th round of the Discussions scheduled for June 14-15.
Issues related to the agenda of the coming round in general and problems that would be subjects of discussion in Geneva in particular were discussed at the meeting.
As usual, main attention was paid to issues of security and the existing challenges. South Ossetia delegation expressed once again concern of NATO enlargement on territory of Georgia and Noble Partner 2016, military exercises, launched in the country.
Relative stability about South Ossetia-Georgian border maintained, among others, by fruitful meetings and effective 24-hour hotline organized upon the IPRM was noted.
Special attention was paid to humanitarian issues to be considered at the discussions.
South Ossetian party reaffirmed its position on the impossibility of discussing the issue of refugees within the Geneva discussions until Georgian party stops turning this problem into a political issue through preparing unilateral resolutions on refugees for the UN General Assembly consideration. With this background the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia has earlier directed to the UN member states a corresponding appeal to take the necessary measures and give South Ossetia representatives the opportunity to promote interests of the Republic of South Ossetia on the problem of refugees.
The parties noted the high-quality work conducted by Dusan Ignjatovic, an independent expert on case of the citizens of the Republic of South Ossetia lost on territory of Georgia and expressed hope that it would be continued.
Upon the official part the Co-Chairs met with relatives of the missing citizens of South Ossetia and answered questions from the press.
May 23, 2016, Tskhinval