The destructive position taken by the representatives of Georgia does not allow progress in resolving the key issue of drafting a legally binding document designed to guarantee the security of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which is becoming increasingly important against the backdrop of the continuing build-up of Georgia's military potential and the expansion of the North Atlantic Alliance's activity in the region.
This is stated in the message of the South Ossetian delegation to the media on the results of the 54th round of the Geneva discussions on security in Transcaucasia.
"On October 12-13, 2021, Geneva hosted the next round of International Discussions on Security in Transcaucasia, held on the basis of the agreements adopted on August 12 and September 8, 2008. Delegations of the Republic of South Ossetia, the Republic of Abkhazia, Georgia, the Russian Federation took part in the negotiations. The United States, as well as representatives of the EU, UN and OSCE, "- noted the South Ossetian participants.
The work of the discussions took place in two groups: on security and on humanitarian issues.
"The first working group discussed security issues. The participants of the discussions focused on the need to develop a legally binding document designed to guarantee the security of the Republic of South Ossetia and the Republic of Abkhazia, Georgia's non-use of force or threat of force. Such a document could become the basis for maintaining stability secured by international guarantees and strengthening the existing security structure in the region. However, the destructive position taken by the representatives of Georgia, demonstrated this time, does not allow us to move forward in solving this key issue, which is becoming increasingly important against the background of the ongoing build-up of Georgia's military potential and the expansion of the activity of the North Atlantic Alliance in the region," the message says.
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Discussing the issues of stability and security in the region of the South Ossetian-Georgian state border, the participants of the meeting noted the absence of serious incidents lately. The South Ossetian delegation drew the attention of other participants to the need to start delimiting the border line between the Republic of South Ossetia and Georgia with its subsequent demarcation.
The border demarcation will ease the living conditions of the population living in the areas adjacent to both sides of the state border, improve the general atmosphere of post-conflict settlement and have a positive impact on various aspects of regional security and stability. However, as the results of the discussion, Georgia continues to politicize practical issues of border demarcation, interstate relations, in particular, issues of delimitation, which the Republic of South Ossetia, due to Georgia's refusal to interact, is forced to resolve unilaterally.
"During the discussions, the effectiveness and expediency of continuing the work of the Mechanism for Prevention and Response to Incidents in the South Ossetian-Georgian Border Area (IPRM) and the hotline operating in this format, which allows to promptly resolve many issues arising in the border areas, was noted. a detailed conversation on humanitarian issues, in which priority attention was paid to the fate of the missing citizens of South Ossetia.
In addition, attention was once again drawn to the ongoing violation by Georgia of the rights of the Tyrsygom Ossetians, who have been unable to gain access to their ancestral villages over the past few years,” the message says.
The South Ossetian participants again raised the issue of returning to South Ossetia a unique triptych icon stolen from the South Ossetian museum and now located in Georgia.
"They also exchanged views on a number of other humanitarian issues, among which the discussion of combating the spread of COVID-19 took an important place.
Discussion on the problem of refugees was not held at the completed round. The resumption of discussions on refugees will be possible only if Georgia stops trying to artificially politicize this problem, "the representatives of the Republic noted, adding that the information session on human security was held on the eve of the 54th round of discussions.
The next meeting of the Geneva Discussions is scheduled to take place in December 2021.
