PRESS RELEASE

Press communiqué of the Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions

GENEVA, 11 December 2019 - The Geneva International Discussions (GID) held its 50^th round on 10-11 December 2019.

Over the past decade, engagement by participants contributed to relative stability, while core security and humanitarian issues have remained unresolved.

We are now faced with a deteriorating situation on the ground and the participants’ diverging positions on key issues of the agenda have become further entrenched. Since August 2019, there are serious security challenges in the Chorchana-Tsnelisi area. People continue to suffer hardship. Restrictions to freedom of movement have been imposed on several occasions at crossing points with both Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Crossing points on the South Ossetian administrative boundary line (ABL) have been closed for more than five months this year. This has caused an increased number of incidents, including detentions.

Although the 50^th round took place in a business-like atmosphere, it was overshadowed by the above-mentioned challenges leading to intense exchanges. As in previous rounds, it was not possible to address issues relating to internally displaced persons/refugees due to a walkout by some participants.

We reiterated our calls for participants to reduce tensions on the South Ossetian ABL, for all crossing points to be reopened, for all detainees to be released, and for participants to engage constructively in dialogue — in Geneva, as well as in the Gali and Ergneti Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRMs).

The Co-Chairs commended the commitment of the participants to the GID process and reminded them of the need to reinvigorate it in order to achieve concrete results on key issues of the agenda in the coming year.

The participants agreed to hold their next round on 31 March-1 April 2020.

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