Russian Foreign Ministry releases statement over the Geneva talks

The Russian Foreign Ministry has released a statement concerning the next round of Geneva negotiations held on 13-14 December.

‘The issue of non-usage of force was the main topic on the agenda. Unfortunately, the neutral version offered by the co-heads was still blocked by the Georgian side. Tbilisi tried to impose the formulation of the security monitoring mechanisms on Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The issue will be discussed during the next round,’ reads the statement.

According to the ministry the meeting participants have assessed the situation along Abkhazia’s and South Ossetia’s borders as stable.

As reported by the ministry more than million people crossed the so-called Abkhazian border and 350 000 people crossed the ‘border’ between Georgia and ‘South Ossetia.’

According to Russia’s Foreign Ministry, ‘Abkhazian and South Ossetian delegations put an emphasis on Tbilisi’s unfriendly actions.’

‘Georgia’s initiatives’ to the UN, OSCE and Council of Europe are of propagandist nature having no practical profit for the regional population,’ the statement says adding Georgia seriously complicates the process of the negotiations.

The statement says information released by the Georgian Foreign Ministry regarding the situation on ‘occupied territories’ concerning human rights protection is not true and assesses UN Secretary Generals’ report as not objective.

‘The delegations of Abkhazia, Russia and South Ossetia showed their concern over NATO’s military exercises in Georgia that were held for three times this year,’ reads the statement.

The next round of the Geneva talks will be held in March, 2017.