‘The first and only’ round of Geneva Int’l Discussions held this year

Participants of the Geneva International Discussions (GIDs) gathered for the first and only time this year to discuss security and humanitarian issues in Georgia's Russia-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) on December 10-11. 

• Russia breaks off 51st round of Geneva Int’l Discussions amid its redoubled occupation efforts during the pandemic

The GID co-chairs from the European Union, United Nations and OSCE said in their joint press communiqué yesterday that ‘the security situation on the ground was assessed as relatively calm and stable’.

The participants reviewed a number of issues on the agenda, including the situation in the Chorchana-Tsnelisi area, recent detention cases, missing persons, and the importance of conflict-affected populations' access to livelihoods”, they said.

They further noted that ‘particular focus was given on the one side to the core agenda item of non-use of force and, on the other, on the impact of COVID-19 on the humanitarian situation on the ground’. 

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Davit Vanishvili (also known as Data Papa), whose house is surrounded by the barbed wire fence, has been detained several times for crossing the so-called border, which is in his own yard. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.

However, at the same time the co-chairs underlined that ‘participants could not engage on the issues of IDPs and refugees, due to a walkout of some participants’.

The co-chairs reiterated their call for all participants to increase efforts to build trust and confidence among them, and to ensure constructive cooperation with international humanitarian and human rights organisations”, press communiqué reads.

Welcoming the resumption of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) in Ergneti the co-chairs emphasised the need to resume regular meetings of the Gali IPRM as well.

• Geneva Int’l Discussions Co-chairs remain ‘fully engaged’ to address challenges amid coronavirus pandemic

The EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar, who is one of the GID co-chairs, has tweeted that a physical GID meeting that was finally held this year demonstrates 'every participant’s commitment to this important process' during the pandemic.

Very pleased that we were finally able to hold a physical GID meeting. A demonstration of every participant’s commitment to this important process during COVID times. pic.twitter.com/3MIxk8tQ8R

— Toivo Klaar (@ToivoKlaar) December 11, 2020