Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Deputy Foreign Minister Nikoloz Vashakidze will head the Georgian delegation at the Geneva talks, Trend news agency reported, quoting Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze.

The Georgian delegation will also include Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, a representative from the Office of the State Minister for Reintegration.

The Geneva talks were convened after the armed conflict in Georgia in August 2008, in accordance with the August 12 ceasefire agreement reached by Russia and Georgia.

Representatives of Russia, Georgia, as well as the unrecognized republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the OSCE, the EU, the U.S. and the UN are represented in the Geneva talks.

Panjikidze and Vashakidze this week met with co-chairmen of the Geneva talks -- Philippe Lefort (EU), Antti Turunen (UN), Padraig Murphy (OSCE) and special representative of Ukraine Andriy Deshchitsa.

Panjikidze said at the meeting that the Georgian side is committed to strengthening the format of Geneva talks. She noted that the Geneva format is a particularly important area of ​​security, stability and humanitarian assistance in the region.

The Georgian side stressed the urgent need to work on a document on the non-use of force, ensuring the freedom of movement of internally displaced persons and the protection of human rights.

The parties stressed the importance of taking effective steps to prevent incidents and hold meetings in Gali, Abkhazia, and Ergneti near South Ossetia, in connection with the cases of detention, possible violations of airspace and the fate of missing persons.

Panjikidze expressed confidence that progress can be made in resolving the conflict through dynamic and meaningful talks.

The next round of the talks will take place on December 11-12.

During the previous rounds of the negotiations, the Georgian delegation was led by Sergi Kapanadze, former Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia.

Diplomatic relations between Georgia and Russia were established on July 1, 1992 after gaining independence from the former Soviet Union. Tensions between the two neighbors rose in August 2008 when Moscow crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over Abkhazia and South Ossetia and later recognized the breakaway regions. In response, Tbilisi broke off diplomatic relations with Moscow and announced the two unrecognized republics as occupied territories in September 2008.

Georgia and the vast majority of other countries do not recognize Abkhazian and South Ossetian independence and officially consider them as sovereign territory of the Georgian state.