52nd round of Geneva International Discussions

By Nika Gamtsemlidze

Monday, March 29

Several key issues, including Covid-19 and its impact on occupied regions of Georgia, were discussed at the meeting

The representatives of Georgia once again raised the concerns around illegal detentions of Georgian citizens

On March 26, 2021, the 52nd round of Geneva International Discussions was held. During the meeting, key topics were discussed, including increased security and humanitarian concerns in occupied regions of Georgia in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Activation of the de-facto annexation process by the Russian Federation and the issue of release of illegally detained Georgian citizens by the occupation forces was also discussed.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia stated that during the talks, the Georgian delegation spoke in detail about the historic decision of the European Court of Human Rights, noting it is an important international legal instrument in the process of peaceful settlement of the conflict."

Also, the Georgian representatives stressed that the European Court had confirmed the “effective control and occupation of Georgia's Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions that Russia has” and, consequently, held the Russian Federation responsible for human rights violations in the aftermath of the August 2008 war and occupation.

Significant attention was paid to the growing militarization and regular military exercises in the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia, the continuing creeping occupation near the village of Chorchana, as well as to the tools of Russia's intensified hybrid warfare to destabilize the situation in the country.

It was noted that impunity in the murder cases of Davit Basharuli, Giga Otkhozoria, and Archil Tatunashvili contributes to the promotion of ethnic violence and crime. The Georgian delegation again raised the issue of the need to administer justice in these cases.

The co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussion also issued a statement regarding the meeting. According to the statement, all participants reiterated the importance of the GID process.

“As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues, the GID Co-Chairs and participants focused on the needs and concerns of conflict-affected people. Participants also discussed possibilities for joint efforts to address the pandemic and mitigate its impact on humanitarian and socio-economic situations and threats to livelihoods,” reads the statement.

With the statement, co-charts once again call on all participants to increase the efforts to build trust and confidence among them and to address all elements of security.

According to the statement, the participants agreed to hold the next round of meeting in Geneva on June 29 and 30, 2021.