Due to the current restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic, the delegation of South Ossetia is ready to work online, said Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy of South Ossetia, head of the South Ossetian delegation, Murat Dzhioev.
As noted by the Plenipotentiary, the South Ossetian side expressed its readiness for constructive work within the framework of the Geneva discussions, "taking into account all the opportunities of this year."
"On October 6-7, the next 51st round of international Geneva discussions on security and stability in Transcaucasia was supposed to be held. However, given the situation with the coronavirus, it was not possible to hold the round in full-time format. The South Ossetian delegation has repeatedly held videoconferences with the chairs of the Geneva discussions," Murat Dzhioev told IA RES.
According to Dzhioev, meetings are also held within the framework of the IPRM at the border, and a hot line is actively functioning. He noted the importance of the Geneva Discussions for South Ossetia.
“The South Ossetian delegation demonstrates its readiness to work. The tasks facing the Geneva process to ensure the security of South Ossetia are very urgent, and the preparation of documents on the non-use of force is currently very relevant against the background of the events, taking place in Nagorno-Karabakh. At the last meeting with the co-chairs, we noted that it was necessary to more actively begin working on this document,” the Plenipotentiary stressed.
According to Dzhioev, based on the current situation, the delegation of South Ossetia will insist that the work on preparing documents on the non-use of force continue.
“If the situation with coronavirus allows the next round to be held, it will be held in person, but if there is no such opportunity, the work will take place online. The Geneva process is important for South Ossetia, and we are ready to work,” the diplomat concluded.
The previous round of international discussions on security in Transcaucasia took place in December last year, since then the participants have held online conferences. Delegations of the Republic of South Ossetia, the Republic of Abkhazia, Georgia, the Russian Federation, the USA, as well as the EU, UN and OSCE representatives take part in the discussions. The co-chairs at the last meeting in Geneva were unanimous in the opinion of the relatively high importance of the Geneva format, which for 11 years has been an effective mechanism for maintaining regional security.
Discussions continued on ways to work out the main issue - a joint statement by all the participants in the discussions about their adherence to the principle of non-use of force by Georgia against South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry has stated that the round of the Geneva discussions on Transcaucasia planned for October 6-7 was thwarted by the Russian party. On the eve, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, called Georgia's accusations against Russia of undermining the negotiation process on Transcaucasia - groundless and politicized.
“We were perplexed by the statement of the Georgian Foreign Ministry of October 6 about the postponed 51st round of the International Geneva discussions on security and stability in Transcaucasia, allegedly thwarted by Russian representatives, We consider the accusations against us, undermining the entire peace process, absolutely groundless and politicized." the diplomat said".
