The European Union, UN and OSCE co-chairs of the Geneva international discussions on Transcaucasia are planning to visit Moscow, Tskhinval, Sukhum and Tbilisi next week, Toivo Klaar, the EU special representative for the South Caucasus, told media.
Commenting on the topics of the upcoming meetings, Klaar called one of the main issues the tense situation on the Georgian border with South Ossetia, in particular, in the area of the border villages of Chorchana and Tsnelis, where the Georgian side put up a police post.
According to him, all participants in the international discussions in Geneva agree that the situation should be de-escalated.
“We must be able to make progress based on the specific situation that has developed on the spot. My main message during the scheduled meetings will be the following: this is an undesirable situation, and we must find a way to solve the problem. This means de-escalation and prevention of incidents. This is a short-term main goal "said Klaar.
At the same time, he has noted that in the area of these villages today there is a situation that has not been many years.
The Geneva discussions on security and stability in Transcaucasia have are held since 2008 and remain the only platform for Georgia’s dialogue with South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Representatives of Russia, the USA, the UN, EU and OSCE co-chairs also take part in the negotiations. The main goal of the discussions is to reach an agreement on the non-use of force between Tskhinval and Tbilisi, Sukhum and Tbilisi.
