Following the 63rd round of the Geneva discussions on security in Transcaucasia, encouraging signals emerged regarding the possibility of developing and signing the agreement on the non-use of force. This was stated in Tskhinval on Tuesday by the head of the South Ossetian delegation, State Advisor to President Konstantin Kochiev, at the meeting with the co-chairs of the Geneva discussions.
He also pointed to positive changes in the perception of the events of 2008 in Georgia.
“We are also witnessing a certain development in neighboring Georgia, where there is a growing understanding of what actually happened in 2008 on the South Ossetian soil. This opens up additional opportunities for finding and developing coordinated approaches to key points of the Geneva discussions,” the head of the South Ossetian delegation has added.
The goal of the current meeting, according to Kochiev, is to prepare for the next round of the Geneva discussions on security in Transcaucasia.
“Today we expect to exchange views on the situation on the border between South Ossetia and Georgia, on the relationship between the parties in all aspects, as well as on the upcoming discussions at the 64th round in Geneva. We expect that today we will be able to discuss these opportunities in detail,” Kochiev has specified.
Special attention, according to him, will be paid to the main and key aspect of the Geneva discussions - the preparation of a legally binding document on the non-use of force.
For his part, the OSCE Co-Chair Christoph Späth emphasized the importance of an open dialogue.
“First of all, it is extremely important for us as co-chairs to hear your understanding of the situation and the key points you would like to raise. We are also eager to receive your suggestions on how to conduct the upcoming round and work in the most constructive way,” Späth said.
He also introduced his new colleague Kamil Marquet, who will from now on be the OSCE co-moderator of the Working Group 2.
The UN Co-Chair Cihan Sultanoglu expressed satisfaction with her stay in Tskhinval and hope for productive results.
“As always, I am very pleased to be here in Tskhinval. As already noted, we have gathered today to prepare the ground for the upcoming round, which will take place at the end of the month. I hope that the productive negotiations we will have here will lead us to the equally productive round in Geneva,” Sultanoglu has noted.
She also stressed the need for the innovative approach in the current circumstances.
“I believe that the current times require us to be more innovative and more creative in order to achieve progress on key issues of the discussions,” the UN representative has concluded.
