27th round of discussions on security and stability in Transcaucasia start in Geneva

The 27th round of Geneva discussions on security and stability in Transcaucasia have started in Geneva.

The priority task is to work out guarantees of Georgia’s non-use of force against neighboring states. Russia’s initiative on making a statement by all participants is on the agenda.The consultations are held under the auspices of the UN, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and involve delegations of Russia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Georgia and the United States. The delegations have met within two working groups - for security and humanitarian issues.

The parties fail to make the statement because Georgia gives it up. Georgia demands Russia make a unilateral statement on the non-use of force against Georgia. Moscow declines and calls on its partners not to regard it as a party to the Georgian conflict.

The latest Geneva discussions were held in December 2013.

Head of the Russian delegation, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told Itar-Tass that Georgia had not changed its position.

The lack of progress has been conditioned by the fact that “it is rather difficult to get rid of old inertia when Mikhail Saakashvili was Georgia’s president”, the Russian top diplomat said.