Russia, Tskhinvali and Abkhazia are demanding legally binding guarantees from Georgia on the non-use of force, according to a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, on September 23, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin met with Oleg Bartsits, the so-called foreign minister of occupied Abkhazia, and Konstantin Kochiev, an adviser to the so-called president of occupied Tskhinvali.

“The priority nature of ensuring solid security in Abkhazia and South Ossetia was emphasized. According to Moscow, Sukhum and Tskhinvali, resolving this key task is impossible without legally binding guarantees from Tbilisi on the non-use of force against the two young republics, as well as the delimitation and subsequent demarcation of the state borders between Georgia and Abkhazia and between Georgia and South Ossetia,” the statement said.