Georgia-Russia issues discussed at international Geneva talks

Georgian, Russian and Western diplomats met for 27th time in Switzerland to discuss the situation in Georgian conflict regions.

Violating Georgian airspace, a continuation of installing illegal fences and fulfillment of a cease-fire agreement were on the agenda, according to the Georgian side.

Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani led the delegation in Geneva. Representatives of the Reconciliation Ministry were also present at the discussions. 

Deputy Minister of Reconciliation Ketevan Tsikhelashvili told Georgian journalists, events in Ukraine made the Georgian delegation pay additional attention to security aspect of the talks.

"As we look at the current events – at the actions of Russia in Crimea, we underline that the discussion of security guarantees in the region is crucial. We call on the international community to assist in a peaceful resolution of our conflicts,” Tsikhelashvili said.

A Russian delegation attending the event is traditionally led by Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin. 

Georgia’s First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Davit Zalkaliani said the Georgian side would "once again” raise the issue of the so-called borderization process along the occupation line in South Ossetia.

South Ossetian authorities have installed barbed wire fences in the yards and gardens of village residents. The process is preventing locals from moving on their own properties and artificially creating barriers that make everyday life for the local population harder.

Another issue relates to problems at the Abkhazian border, where Russian border-guards moved the border 11 kilometers further into Georgian territory ahead of the Sochi Olympic Games. According to Karasin, this was a temporary measure to ensure the safety of the Games, and the border had already been restored.

Talks in Geneva launched after the August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia. The meetings are co-chaired by representatives from the European Union, United Nations and OSCE, which include negotiators from Georgia, Russia and the United States, as well as from Sokhumi and Tskhinvali.