36th Geneva International Discussions:
De facto Abkhazia failed to react to murder of Georgian man near ABL, says MFA

Georgian officials have sat down with de facto Abkhazia leadership and European mediators for the latest round of the Geneva International Discussions, which ended poorly when the Russian and de facto sides walked out of the meeting in protest.

Yesterday’s talks were co-chaired by representatives from the European Union (EU), United Nations (UN) and the Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE), as well as delegates from Georgia, Russia and the United States (US), and authorities from de facto Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions.

At the meeting Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed the issue of a Georgian man being gunned down by a Russian-controlled border guard near the ABL. Georgia asked for concrete evidence the man responsible had been detained and held to account, however the de facto side provided no genuine information or reaction to the May 19 murder, said the Georgian Ministry.

At the #Geneva Talks Russian participants walked out from the room during the discussions on #IDP & @Refugees@MFAgovge#Georgia#occupation

— Georgia UN/Geneva (@GeorgiaGeneva) June 16, 2016

The Ministry stressed Georgia "demanded the immediate arrest” of the offender who shot and killed 31-year old Giga Otkhozoria on May 19 on Georgian territory.

Unfortunately representatives of the occupant regimes did not provide any genuine information about the issue,” said the Ministry in a statement released after the meeting.

Participants of the Geneva Talks hoped the Gali International Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meeting scheduled for July 6 would put more light on the murder,” said the Ministry.

Yesterday’s talks were held within a two meeting-group format. At one meeting sides discussed security and stability issues in Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, while the second meeting group concerned the safe return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refuges to their homes.

Representatives of Russia and the occupied regions left the second-meeting group discussion as the sign of protest. The action once again indicates on their non-constructive attitude to human rights and humanitarian issues as well as to the general principles of the Geneva Talks,” said Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At both meetings Georgia raised several issues related to Russia’s ongoing occupation of Georgia, including the installation of barbed wire fences and new border signs, the kidnapping of Georgian citizens and depriving the local youth of getting an education on their mother language.

These activities blatantly violate fundamental human rights,” said the Ministry.

All the meeting participants, except Russia and the de facto representatives, fully shared the position of Georgia.

The next round of the Geneva International Discussions was scheduled for October 4-5, 2016.

• Since the Russia-Georgia war in August 2008 the Geneva International Discussions have been the only format of dialogue between Georgia and Russia.
• At the meeting, according to the August 12, 2008 Ceasefire Agreement, issues including non-use of force, creation of international security arrangements in breakaway Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region, and safe and dignified return of IDPs and refugees are discussed.
• The IPRM in Gali, Abkhazia was established to address security concerns and ensure protection of human rights in the occupied region. The IPRM talks were suspended in April 2012 after Abkhazia refused to participate. The IPRM talks resumed in March this year at the 35th Geneva International Discussions after a four year break.