The international discussions in Geneva provide South Ossetia and Abkhazia with an opportunity to bring their position to the wider international community, said the OSCE Co-Chair Ambassador Nurgaliev after the meeting in Tskhinval with the Plenipotentiary of the President of South Ossetia for Post-Conflict Settlement.
He recalled that on December 2 in Astana after the 11-year break, the OSCE Summit took place.
"This is a very important event for European security. And the problems of protracted conflicts, including conflicts that are the subject of discussion in Geneva, were also discussed there. In particular, all speakers stressed the need to support the Geneva process, as the only internationally accepted mechanism in which all participants have the opportunity to express their views on what the situation is like on the ground, their vision of further steps in confidence-building measures to stop hostilities and ensure a lasting and stable peace ", Nurgaliev said.
According to him, there should be any doubts as to the usefulness of the international discussions in Geneva that give South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the possibility to bring their position to wider international community.
"There should not be any doubts on the usefulness of the Geneva discussions," noted the OSCE Co-Chair.
He also noted that the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms are an important tool to avoid turning a minor episode into larger problem that would have an effect on security in the region.
"All sides propose concrete issues for discussion and as a result we reach a better understanding and effective cooperation", emphasized Nurgaliev.
In connection with the statement of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili declaring non-use of force in order to solve the problem of territorial integrity of his country Nurgaliev noted that the main element contained in Saakashvili’s address is that it is valid, legally binding, as an element of international law.
"I think the international organizations, to which this statement was sent, will appropriately record it, and based on real documents, we will continue to work on a document on the nonuse of force", he said.
According to the EU Envoy Pierre Morel, this statement has a solid legal character, "a subject and a basis for future work.”
"This is a fairly significant component, direct material for serious work", said Morel.
In conclusion, Nuragliev presented to the media Ambassador Giedrius Chekuolis, the successor Co-Chair of the Geneva discussions for the OSCE in 2011. Nurgaliev noted that his successor is an experienced Lithuanian diplomat with extensive professional background "
