Press release on consultations on security and stability in the South Caucasus

On April 2-3, Geneva hosted regular consultations as part of international discussions on the South Caucasus. Co-chaired by the EU, the UN and the OSCE, this event involved representatives of the Republic of Abkhazia, Georgia, the Republic of South Ossetia, the Russian Federation and the United States. State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin headed the Russian delegation.

The Russian, Abkhazian and South Ossetian delegations noted the importance of the Geneva format making it possible to maintain relative stability on the borders between Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Georgia for over ten years. The operation of Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRMs) and hotline communications networks also largely facilitates this process.  Heeding the importance of continued information exchanges and efforts to resolve practical problems of the population of the border districts, the Abkhazian and Georgian sides voiced their readiness to hold a technical IPRM meeting in the near future. All those taking part in the discussions responded positively to this decision.

Russian, Abkhazian and South Ossetian representatives once again underscored the fact that the current US and NATO military activities in Georgia posed the main threat for regional security. Regular exercises involving NATO member-countries and partners in Georgia are openly defiant.

In this context, members of the three delegations noted the need for passing a joint statement on the non-use of force. However, the Georgian side’s counter-productive position once again made it impossible to move ahead on this matter. Representatives from Tbilisi and Washington virtually revived the ten-year old phraseology on the need for withdrawing the Russian armed forces from the entire Georgian territory, for establishing international security forces, etc. The discussion became deadlocked as a result.

An overwhelming majority of participants said the situation on the borders between Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Georgia remained stable. Border-crossing statistics highlight the absence of serious freedom-of-movement problems, and the number of incidents does not exceed routine levels. Representatives from Russia and South Ossetia noted the provocative activities of certain Georgian NGOs around border areas. Their propagandistic actions are fraught with the most dangerous consequences and meet no one’s interests.

Members of the Russian and Abkhazian delegations informed those present about the circumstances of Georgian citizen Irakly Kvaratskhelia’s suicide on March 10. The investigation of this tragic incident continues.

The Russian side urged the co-chairpersons to allow official representatives of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to gain access to international venues, the UN first and foremost. This will provide participants in the Geneva discussions with equal opportunities for setting forth their positions to the international community and will make it possible to resume the discussion of the subject of refugees.

Participants at the Geneva discussions reaffirmed their wish to continue the search for ways of accomplishing humanitarian tasks, including those in the field of environmental safety, the preservation of the cultural heritage, the search for missing persons as well as education.

The next meeting in Geneva is scheduled for July 2019.