Azernews.Az

GENEVA – The Geneva talks on security in the South Caucasus, which have been underway since 2008, is trying to draw up an agreement between Georgia and its breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia that would provide "non-aggression guarantees", Russian RIA Novosti news agency reported.

The Geneva talks were first held in October 2008, following a brief war between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia early in August. The war erupted after Georgia attacked the separatists in Ossetia in an attempt to regain control over the region. The war ended with Russia’s recognition of the independence of the two breakaway Georgian republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The Geneva talks have so far failed to adopt a legally binding non-aggression treaty that would ensure security in the region. The talks merely managed to work out proposals on prevention and peaceful settlement of conflicts between Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Delegations from Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Georgia, Russia and the United States are taking part in the Geneva meetings on equal terms. Representatives of the European Union, the United Nations, as well as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe are also attending the negotiations.

Earlier, the South Ossetian and Abkhazian delegations said the negotiations had come to a standstill. They threatened to withdraw from the talks if no progress was made. Tbilisi described the move as an attempt to disrupt the talks.

In protest at the negotiators' reluctance to adopt the non-aggression treaty, the head of Abkhaz delegation, Mr. Vyacheslav Chirikba, decided to leave the talks. He has threatened that the Abkhaz negotiators would miss the next round of Geneva meetings if no draft of the treaty was reached on Tuesday.