Regular round of the Geneva International Discussions was held on June 14-15, 2016. Official mission from South Ossetia, headed by Murat Dzhioev, the Plenipotentiary of the President of the Republic of South Ossetia on post-conflict settlement, missions from Abkhazia, Georgia, Russia, the USA as well as representatives of the EU, the UN and the OSCE took part in negotiations.

The discussions were held in two working groups: on security and humanitarian issues.

The situation at the round was aggravated and tense because of the resolution on refugees that had been accepted by the UN General Assembly on June 7, 2016. Adoption of this resolution, which had annually been submitted at the UN GA approval by Georgia, was perceived by South Ossetia and Abkhazia delegations as a politicized step preventing solution of the difficult humanitarian problem of refugees within the Geneva Discussions.

Main attention in working group on security was paid to the problems of non-use of force by Georgia against South Ossetia and Abkhazia and maintaining security and stability in regions. South Ossetia party suggested excepting at the round a brief statement of the participants of the discussions on commitment to the principle of non-use of force which would have firm international warranties. However, the non-constructive position of Georgia delegation didn’t allow finishing the work on the writing of the joint statement. Moreover, Georgian party confirmed once again the unwillingness to work on bilateral agreements on non-use of force between Georgia and South Ossetia and Georgia and Abkhazia. South Ossetia participants shut door on the attempts made by Georgia delegation to coordinate work on legally binding documents with discussion of South Ossetia-Russia and Abkhazia-Russia relations, having emphasized that bilateral relations between South Ossetia and Russia are based and being developed solely in accordance with international legislation and in no way threaten Georgia or any other state.

At the same time South Ossetia and Abkhazia parties noted that facts of ongoing establishing closer relations between NATO and Georgia, NATO structures being constructed on territory of Georgia, Georgian troops being trained to reach NATO forces’ level threaten stability in the region. Bellicose statements made by Georgian authorities in general and Mr. Usupashvili, the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, in particular in relation to joint NATO-Georgia large-scale military drills launched on territory of the state.

Absence of serious incidents about South Ossetia-Georgian border throughout the discussed period was noted during the discussion on security and stability issues. The non-acceptability of border regime violations related to the harvest season for wild plants and farming works was reminded once again. At the same time Georgian propaganda invectives about the alleged apprehensions on Georgian territory were overruled. As earlier, South Ossetia representatives explained that the border demarcation works are conducted only on territory of the Republic of South Ossetia and reminded once again of the suggestion made to Georgian side to get to joint process of South Ossetia-Georgia border delimitation and demarcation.

The attendees emphasized positive results of the activity of the IPRM and the “hot line” organized upon the mechanism. At the same time the inadmissibility of violation the border by Georgian police officers and the EU mission observers was noted. Detailed conversation on humanitarian issues among which the issue of the destiny of South Ossetia missing people took an important place was held. The participants admitted to agree a draft document reflecting general principles of the problem of missing people’s search at the next round of the discussions.

Within the discussion on cultural heritage South Ossetia participants raised once again the problem of returning to the Republic the unique icon (the Okoni triptych) that had been stolen from South Ossetia museum and currently is in Georgia. Once again members of the delegation drew attention to the problem of preservation of those Ossetian historical-cultural monuments that are located on territory of Eastern Ossetia. This territory is currently under Georgian control and the Ossetians who were driven out are not allowed to go there. South Ossetia delegates called once again for admitting experts to Tyrsygom valley for estimating and evaluating conditions of Ossetian historical-cultural monuments located there.

The problem of refugees wasn’t discussed within the round.

Upon the discussions the round was shortly summed up.

Next meeting in Geneva is scheduled for October 2016.