Thirty-First Round of Geneva Talks

Signing of “integration” treaty between Moscow and Tskhinvali on the day when negotiators were holding thirty-first round of the Geneva international discussions on March 18, created “a difficult climate” in the discussions, said EU, UN and OSCE envoys, who chair the talks, launched after the August 2008 war. 

“It turned out to be very difficult due to divergent views and approaches of participants on various issues, including on certain agenda items,” co-chairs of the talks said in their joint statement.

The Geneva international discussions involve participants from Georgia, Russia and the United States, as well as from Tskhinvali and Sokhumi; they meet once in several months and discuss security and humanitarian issues in two respective working groups.
 
“As part of the review of the security situation, the participants commented on the ‘Treaty on Alliance and Integration’ signed today [March 18] by Moscow and Tskhinvali. The Co-Chairs regretted that such a development took place on the same day as this round, thus creating a difficult climate in the discussions,” EU, UN and OSCE representatives said.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry also said that the recent round was held “difficult atmosphere” because of the timing of signing of the treaty in Moscow, which Tbilisi has condemned as an “actual annexation of occupied” region of South Ossetia.

Signing of this treaty, which according to the Russian media reports was initially planned for March 11, also coincided with the day when Russia was marking anniversary of annexation of Crimea.

The U.S. delegation said in a statement after the talks that “unfortunately” signing of the treaty in Moscow “distracted” participants of the Geneva talks “from our focus on the security and humanitarian issues affecting conflict-affected areas in Georgia.”

“Despite these disagreements, we note that there was constructive discussion in both working groups. We hope that in upcoming rounds, the participants will engage fully on all agenda items,” the U.S. delegation said.

Disagreements over agenda involves opposition of participants from Moscow, Tskhinvali and Sokhumi to discuss the issue of internally displaced persons at the Geneva talks as long as Tbilisi keeps on “politicizing” the issue by pushing annually at the UN General Assembly a resolution calling for return of IDPs. The issue is one of the agenda items of the working group II, which addresses humanitarian issues, but Abkhaz and South Ossetian participants walked out without discussing it.

“The Georgian delegation has made its best from the format of the 31st round of Geneva International Discussions and raised all important issues pertaining to the agenda,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.

Co-chairs of the talks said that in the working group I, which addresses security-related issues, participants “assessed the general security situation on the ground as stable and calm” since the previous round in December 2014.

“They also continued to engage in the work on a draft joint statement by all participants on non-use of force, on which they registered some progress,” co-chairs said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in its statement that “the Abkhaz and south Ossetian delegations expressed concern over Georgia’s plans on further integration into NATO, noting that movement in this direction poses a direct threat to the security of these two independent republics and therefore is in conflict with provisions of the August 2008” ceasefire agreement.

“Intention of the Alliance to create its infrastructure and to hold military exercises on the territory of Georgia is of particular concern,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Next round of the talks has been scheduled for June 30-July 1.