The participants of the 48th round of the Geneva international negotiations from Georgia drew attention to the importance of a substantive discussion of the topic of safe and dignified return of persons and refugees displaced as a result of ethnic cleansing from the Abkhaz and Tskhinvali regions. However, during the discussion on this issue, the participants from Moscow, Sukhumi and Tskhinvali left the negotiations, which once again indicates their destructive and irresponsible attitude to one of main humanitarian issues on the agenda, – The Georgian Foreign Ministry has released a statement regarding the 48th round of the Geneva International Discussions.

According to the Foreign Ministry, during the 48th round of negotiations, special emphasis was placed on new restrictions imposed by Russia on Georgia and grave consequences of the closure of the so-called crossing points in the Abkhazian region. The Georgian side noted that it is extremely important to de-escalate the current situation.

“Within the framework of the negotiations, the representatives of Georgia discussed the security and humanitarian challenges in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region, as well as in the areas adjacent to the occupation line, resulting from Russia’s illegal occupation and factual annexation.

The Georgian participants raised the issue of illegal militarization of the occupied territories and activation of military exercises by Russia. They called on the Russian Federation to fulfill the obligations of the EU-brokered ceasefire agreement signed on 12 August 2008 and withdraw the occupying troops from the territory of Georgia” – the statement reads.