Representatives of South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and Russia noted the importance of developing legally binding guarantees against Tbilisi's use of force against Sukhum and Tskhinval. This was discussed at the meeting at the Russian Foreign Ministry ahead of the next round of the Geneva Discussions.
The meeting was attended by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Abkhaz Foreign Minister Oleg Bartsits, and State Advisor to President of South Ossetia Konstantin Kochiev, who lead the national delegations to the International Discussions on Security and Stability in Transcaucasia (IDS), the Russian Foreign Ministry press service reports.
"In preparation for the next round of the IDS in March, joint tasks in this format were discussed.
The commitment to close coordination on key issues on the agenda of the Discussions was confirmed, with an emphasis on ensuring lasting security in Abkhazia and South Ossetia," the press service has noted.
They noted that, in practical terms, it was emphasized the importance of developing the legally binding guarantees that Tbilisi will not use force against Sukhum and Tskhinval, as well as the beginning the process of delimiting the Georgian-Abkhazian and the Georgian-South Ossetian state borders with their subsequent demarcation.
