FM: Georgia working on non-use of force statement at Geneva International Discussions
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Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze stated late on Thursday that Georgia is working together with its international partners within the Geneva International Discussions to adopt a non-use of force statement.
Janelidze claims that the step will serve Georgian interests and will be directed to ensure the fulfilment by Russia of its obligations under the Ceasefire Agreement signed with Georgia in the wake of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
Our goal is that Russia fulfils its obligations under the 2008 Ceasefire Agreement and starts the implementation of this agreement, which has not been achieved since 2008.
To achieve this goal it is essential to establishinternational security arrangements on ground that will aim at peaceful conflict resolution,” Janelidze said.
The minister further noted that such arrangements are necessary to prevent tragic incidents in the occupied territories, such as that of Archil Tatunashvili’s murder in late February.
It is also crucial that human rights monitoring mechanisms be allowed on the ground and proper international involvement is ensured in this process. We are working in this direction,” Janelidze stated.
Janelidze said that the negotiations on the no-use of force statement started in the beginning of 2012.
The minister stated that discussions on the text of statement are still in progress and will continue at the next round of the Geneva discussions scheduled for the end of this month.
A Georgian delegation led by First Deputy Foreign Minister David Dondua is in Switzerland where the 32nd round of the Geneva International Discussions convenes on June 30 and July 1.
A Georgian delegation led by First Deputy Foreign Minister David Dondua has departed for Switzerland where the 31st round of the Geneva International Discussions convene on March 17 and 18.
The co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions have expressed their concern over the death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili under unclear circumstances in Georgia’s Russian occupied region of Tskhinvali.
Thirteen days after Tatunashvili’s death, his body has not been handed over to his family for burial and two other Georgian citizens Levan Kutashvili and Ioseb Pavliashvili, detained with Tatunashvili on February 22, still remain in the occupied region.
Yet another round of the Geneva International Discussions – the only international format of meetings addressing Georgia-Russia relations – began today, with security issues and the humanitarian situation in the Russian-occupied regions of Georgia, Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), on the top of the agenda.
Georgia and Russia were unable to agree on a non-use of force statement at the Geneva International Discussions that would oblige all the members of the Geneva talks not to use force against one another. "Russia showed a destructive attitude and deliberately brought the discussions on the statement to a dead end,” the Georgian ministry reported.