HIGHLIGHTS OF PRESS CONFERENCE HELD BY THREE CO-CHAIRS OF THE GENEVA DISCUSSIONS FOLLOWING THE FOURTEENTH ROUND HELD ON 16 DECEMBER 2010

The three Co-Chairs of the Geneva Discussions, Pierre Morel, Special Representative of the European Union; Antti Turunen, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Georgia; and a representative of Bolat Nurgaliev, Special Envoy of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Chairperson-in-Office, held a press conference at the Palais des Nations this evening following the fourteenth round of the Geneva Discussions.

Mr. Morel said he it had been a good session of substance for the two Working Groups on security and humanitarian issues. Security issues had been discussed in detail and it had become evident that greater transparency and confidence building measures were needed. There had also been a detailed discussion on the confidence building measures to be developed at a later stage. In Working Group II, issues pertaining to the return of internally displaced persons and refugees had been discussed in detail. The fifteenth session of the Geneva Discussions would be held on 4 March 2011, Mr. Morel said.

Mr. Turunen added that the situation related to the non-use of force and international security arrangements had been discussed in depth. There had been a thorough discussion concerning various aspects, and the issues had been approached with an idea of further work in this direction as many issues remained to be clarified. All in all participants faced a new situation in the Geneva Discussions, and they must thoroughly analyze the next avenues. With regards to the work on the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms, Mr. Turunen was happy to note that constructive work had continued and that some elements of confidence building had been addressed. Everything was nonetheless related to the political will of the parties - political will was necessary to take the Geneva Discussions a step forward.

Frane Maroevic, Deputy Spokesperson for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said Mr. Nurgaliev had had to leave, but added that some progress had been achieved. He welcomed the steps taken to resolve the supply of gas and water to communities, among other things, and was happy that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe could contribute concretely to these important matters.

Questions and Answers

Asked whether Mr. Saakashvili’s declaration on the non-use of force had helped today’s discussion, and whether it was now expected that Russia would do the same, Mr. Morel said the discussions had been substantive since the non-use of force had been the focal point. On that basis, there was a follow-up to be given to the work and it should be seen on this basis what the next step would be. The most important point was that a new phase had been reached in the Geneva Discussions.

Asked what the reason had been for the delay in finishing the talks, Mr. Morel said there had been issues of substance to discuss and enough work for two days. It was thus necessary to concentrate the work in less time. Also, laborious work had to be done to qualify the fashion in which to pursue the work.

Press Communiqué of the Co-Chairs of the Geneva Discussions

The following joint press communiqué by the co-Chairs of the Geneva Discussions was not read out because of the late hour but was distributed to journalists.

“The participants of the Geneva International Discussions completed their fourteenth session and agreed to hold the next round on 4th March 2011. In Working Group I, the participants started their discussions with a review of the security situation on the ground. They welcomed the full resumption of the Ergneti/Dvani Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism, as well as the regular and constructive work of the Gali/Zugdidi Incident Prevent and Response Mechanism. In this connection, the need for a prompt resolution of open cases of detained persons and for active work on missing persons was emphasized. Concerns were raised with regard to recent developments on the ground, which undermine the efforts taken to build up trust and confidence. The co-Chairs underlined the importance of transparency and confidence-building measures, including fully functioning hotlines. The information session on various international experiences related to facilitation of crossings and freedom of movement proved to be useful. The participants continued their discussions on the key issues of non-use of force and international security arrangements. All participants agreed that unilateral commitments to the non-use of force as a legal obligation under international law play an important role in advancing the process. The co-Chairs believe that today’s discussions, in light of recent and relevant developments, contributed to work in this regard and can provide an impetus for further steps in the Geneva process. The co-Chairs called for constructive and serious engagement from all participants. In Working Group II, the participants reviewed the humanitarian situation on the ground, focusing, in view of the forthcoming winter, on the living conditions of vulnerable populations, including the displaced persons. They welcomed the progress achieved on water and gas issues. Concrete proposals related to returns in some areas of previous residence were reviewed. The co-Moderators welcomed the fact that return-related activities were discussed in a constructive spirit. They underlined the need for further consultations, in particular by the UNHCR, with the relevant participants in order to clarify parameters and modalities with a view to ensure that returns take place on a voluntary basis, in safety and dignity, and in accordance with international law and practice.”