On November 14, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin called for “more energetic work” by the co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions with official Tbilisi to prevent “new aggravations” on the occupation line near Tskhinvali/South Ossetia region.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Galuzin made these remarks while meeting the Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID), from OSCE, EU, and UN. The meeting was held in preparation for the next round of the GID slated for early December 2023.
The Russian diplomat’s intervention comes after the Russian occupation border troops shot and killed a Georgian citizen, Tamaz Ginturi, on November 6 near the village of Kirbali (Gori municipality) in the vicinity of the occupation line in the Tskhinvali region. Another Georgian citizen was abducted during the same incident and then released on November 9.
The Russian MFA has used the opportunity to reiterate the importance of developing a legally binding agreement on the non-use of force between Tbilisi on one side and Sokhumi and Tskhinvali on the other “to strengthen security on the ground.” The Russian side also noted the importance of “launching the process of delimitation of Georgia’s borders with Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia regions and their subsequent demarcation.”
GID was launched to implement the August 2008 cease-fire agreement between Moscow and Tbilisi. However, Russia, which recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states in 2008, counterfactually insists it is a mediator in the GID process, rather than a party to the conflict, and wants Tbilisi to legitimize the occupation lines.
Source : Civil
