The Georgian delegation featuring at the 62nd round of the Geneva International Discussions [GID] this week had emphasized the necessity for Russia to comply with the 2008 EU-brokered ceasefire agreement and to ensure the return of internally displaced persons and refugees from the occupied territories to their homes. Such a statement released today the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“As soon as the discussion of the main issue of the negotiations began, the representatives of the occupation regime, as in previous rounds, walked out of the negotiations.

The 62nd round of the GID, which took place between November 5 and 6, was led by the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lasha Darsalia. The discussions are co-chaired by the EU, the UN, and the OSCE, with the participation of Georgia, Russia, and the US.

The Georgian delegation stressed the importance of Russia fulfilling the EU-brokered ceasefire agreement of August 12, 2008 to withdraw its troops from the occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia regions.

The Georgian delegation also noted the severe security, humanitarian, and human rights challenges in the [Russian] occupied regions, as well as the disruptive actions of the occupation regimes”, - reads the statement of MFA.

However, their raising of the issue of return of IDPs to the regions was followed by the de facto authorities of the regions walking out of the session “as is customary”, it added.