03 January 2019, 00:50
Based on outcomes of 2018, Georgian political analysts urge to amend format of Geneva discussions
Despite the inefficiency of the Geneva discussions, they should not be stopped, as there is no better format for discussing problems today, Georgian political analysts believe.
The Geneva discussions are being held after the military events in South Ossetia in August 2008 on the basis of agreements reached through the mediation of the European Union (EU), the United Nations and the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe). Representatives of South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Russia, Georgia, the USA, the United Nations, the OSCE and the EU are taking part in the discussions.
"In their current form, they are unpromising meetings. It all starts with the informal part, where the representatives of the Georgian party reads out the latest resolutions of the UN or the OSCE, which recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be occupied territories. After that, the Abkhaz and the South-Ossetian delegations leave, and the meeting is stopped," a source from the Georgian government told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
At the same time, according to Mamuka Areshidze, the head of the Centre for Strategic Studies of the Caucasus, this format should not be cancelled. "The participants should think on how to expand it so that the work in this format is more functional. But I understand that it is not so easy to do. It was created under the auspices of the UN; and there are bureaucratic mechanisms, but they need to be overcome. However, there is no desire to change anything, especially, in the Russian party. Unfortunately, there is not much there that depends on the Georgian party," Mr Areshidze is sure.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 2, 2019 at 04:37 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Beslan Kmuzov Source: CK correspondent
