35th Geneva International Discussions ends positively:
Tbilisi-Abkhazia agree to restore talks in Gali

The 35th round of Geneva International Discussions – the only international format of meetings addressing Georgia-Russia relations – has ended positively and the restoration of a special peace-building tool that’s been suspended for the past four years.

At yesterday’s meeting Tbilisi and de facto Abkhazia agreed to resume work of the International Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) in Gali, which was established for the purpose of addressing security concerns and ensuring protection of human rights in the occupied region.

The IPRM talks were suspended in April 2012 after Abkhazia refused to participate. At the time de facto Abkhazia declared former head of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) Andrzej Tyszkiewicz as "persona non grata”.

At the time Abkhazia's de facto Foreign Ministry said Tyszkiewicz, a diplomat from Poland, had ignored Abkhazia’s requests and was "disrespectful to the Abkhaz nation".

The 35th round of Geneva International Discussions, also called Geneva Talks, launched after the 2008 war. The latest meeting was held yesterday, March 23. 

The talks included negotiators from Georgia and Russia, as well as representatives from occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and co-chaired by United Nations (UN), Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and European Union (EU) officials.

The results of yesterday’s talks were welcomed by all those that attended the meeting, as well as official Tbilisi.

In a statement Georgia’s Foreign Ministry said the agreement was achieved as a result of "lengthy consultations and efforts”.

The restoration of the [IPRM meeting] was very positively assessed by co-chairs and attendees. After a four year break, restoration of this mechanism is a very serious step forward to ensuring stability in and near the conflict areas and protecting fundamental human rights,” said the Ministry.

As well as discussing the IPRM talks, the Georgian side raised several issues that continued to cause dissatisfaction.

Georgia spoke about Russia’s continuing violations in Georgia’s de facto regions, including unlawful military trainings on Georgian soil and the new regulations set by de facto leaders that violated fundamental human rights, rights of free movement and education of people living in the occupied regions.

The next round of Geneva International Discussions is scheduled for June 14-15, 2016. 

• Since the Russia-Georgia war in August 2008 the Geneva International Discussions have been the only format of dialogue between Georgia and Russia. At the meeting, according to the August 12, 2008 Ceasefire Agreement, issues including non-use of force, creation of international security arrangements in breakaway Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region, and safe and dignified return of IDPs and refugees are discussed.