Russia has once again called on Georgia to sign a legally binding agreement on the non-use of force with the occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, based on a statement released by the Russian side following the 67th round of the International Discussions on Security and Stability in the South Caucasus, held in Geneva.
The latest round of the Geneva International Discussions took place on June 30–July 1, bringing together official representatives from Georgia, the de facto authorities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russia, and the United States. The talks were co-chaired by the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the European Union.
Based on the Russian statement, Moscow urged participants, particularly the Georgian side, to take practical steps within the framework of the discussions to provide what it described as “firm security guarantees” for Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia reiterated its long-standing demand for the preparation and signing of a legally binding agreement on the non-use of force between Georgia and the two occupied regions.
Moscow argued that such an agreement has become increasingly important amid the deepening cooperation between Georgia and NATO, including the holding of NATO military exercises and other training activities in Georgia.
The statement also said the security situation on the ground remains relatively stable, which Russia attributed to the mechanisms established within the Geneva Discussions, including the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) in Ergneti and the 24-hour hotline. It also stressed the need to resume the operation of a similar mechanism in Gali and called for the launch of a process to delimit what it referred to as the “state borders” between Georgia, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia.
In addition, the Russian side accused Tbilisi of politicizing humanitarian issues, arguing that this hinders constructive dialogue. In this context, Moscow referred to the annual resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly concerning internally displaced persons and refugees.
The 68th round of the Geneva International Discussions is scheduled to take place in November. Ahead of the meeting, the national delegations will hold consultations with the co-chairs in the capitals of the participating countries.
