Georgian FM refutes reports on country's possible withdrawal from Geneva format

Georgian Foreign Minister denied reports on Georgia's possible withdrawal from the Geneva format.

"No one in Georgia spoke about withdraw from the format of talks in Geneva," Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said today at a joint press conference with Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.

"No official from our side has said that Georgia withdraws from the Geneva format of talks on the prevention of tension in the Caucasus," he stressed.

According to Vashadze, during the recent talks in this format, the head of the Georgian delegation, National Security Council Secretary Giga Bokeria said that the actions taken by Russia against Georgia prevent the negotiating process, but there was no talk on withdrawal from this format.

In turn, Bildt said that the talks in Geneva format "should not be disrupted." "These talks are very important regardless of whether there is progress. We all hope for phased progress," he said.

The Geneva talks started after the armed conflict in Georgia in August 2008 in accordance with the ceasefire agreement dated 12 August.

Military actions were launched in the unrecognized republic of South Ossetia in August 2008. Georgian troops entered Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia and later Russian troops occupied the city and drove the Georgian military back to Georgia. Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on Aug. 26 and established diplomatic relations with them on Sept. 9, 2008.


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