The 68th round of the International Discussions on Security and Stability in Transcaucasia took place in Geneva on November 10–11, according to the press service of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia.
The proceedings involved delegations from the Republic of South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Georgia, Russia, and the United States, with the co-chairs of the European Union, the UN, and the OSCE. The South Ossetian delegation was led by First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrey Tskhovrebov.
During the discussions on security issues, particular attention was paid to the situation in the areas along the state border of South Ossetia, which was generally characterized as relatively calm. Participants noted the important role of the Discussions and the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) in maintaining a stable and predictable situation.
During the discussions, the delegation of South Ossetia called on the international organizations to strictly adhere to the principles of neutrality, objectivity, and impartiality, and to avoid steps that could be characterized as destructive.
"Despite the significant differences in the parties' approaches to developing a political document on the non-use of force, the South Ossetian participants advocated for continued work on this draft. Such a document would represent an important step toward preparing a comprehensive, legally binding agreement on the non-use of force—or the threat thereof—between Georgia and the Republic of South Ossetia," the Foreign Ministry stated. During the discussions, it was also noted that sabotage by the Georgian authorities was hindering progress in the investigation into the enforced disappearance of the South Ossetian citizens S. Pliev, A. Khachirov, and A. Khugaev. A number of other pressing humanitarian issues were also discussed.
The issue of refugees was not addressed during the most recent round. Resuming the dialogue on this agenda item within the framework of the International Discussions will be possible once Georgia ceases its artificial politicization of the matter.
It was proposed that the next—the 69th—round of the International Discussions be held in March 2027.
