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7th round of Russia-Georgia talks end without agreement

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-09-18 09:47

GENEVA: The seventh round of international talks aimed at resolving the security and humanitarian issues left over by the Russian-Georgia conflict in August 2008 concluded here Thursday without any substantial agreement.

But the parties agreed to resume their discussions in Geneva on November 11, with the main purpose of reaching an agreement on the non- use of force and international security arrangements in the region, said EU special representative Pierre Morel, who cochaired the one- day talks.

Like the previous six rounds, the talks were under the auspices of the EU, the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and they were participated by officials from Russia, Georgia, the United States as well as Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgia's two breakaway regions recognized as independence by Russia following the brief war in August 2008.

Although no agreement was reached on Thursday, "there had been intense work throughout the day," Morel told a news briefing following the discussions.

The participants reviewed the security situation in the region and the work done by the joint incidence prevention and response mechanisms, which were established in February, he said.

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He added that the joint incidence preventions and response mechanisms "had contributed to improving security and stability in the field, and made available resources to all participants in order to respond rapidly to security incidents."

Participants also discussed a proposal on operations to allow the return of refugees and displaced persons with an aim to reaching an agreement on a comprehensive set of principles and measures in this regard.

According to OSCE special envoy Charalampos Christopoulos, the key element of the seventh round of talks "was that practical, detailed discussions began on elements for a potential agreement for the non-use of force."

But UN special representative Johan Verbek acknowledged that non-use of force "was a tough issue and a difficult debate."

"Such agreements by their very nature were not only politically but also technically delicate," Verbek told reporters.

The three mediators said no deadline had been set for reaching a non-use of force agreement, but expressed hope that discussions would continue in the eighth round of Geneva talks scheduled for November 11.

The Geneva international talks started in October 2008 in compliance with agreements reached by Russia and the EU. The agreements were reached after the five-day war in August in which Russian soldiers defeated Georgian troops trying to regain control in South Ossetia.