Tbilisi not expects breakthrough from next round of Geneva talks

Georgian State Minister for Reintegration, Paata Zakareishvili does not expect any major progress from the current round of Geneva talks. Zakareishvili made this statement for reporters on Tuesday before the government meeting.

It will be the first meeting with the participation of the new Georgian delegation and be of an introductory nature, he said.

The Georgian delegation at the Geneva talks will be led by Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia Nikoloz Vashakidze, the Russian delegation by his counterpart Grigory Karasin.

Zakareishvili stressed the importance of the existing format of negotiations with Russia in Geneva.

"However, these negotiations will not become progress and neither Georgia nor international organisations should expect it," he stressed.

At the same time, he said, it is a favourable fact that a negotiation process is being established between Georgia and Russia, as evidenced by a meeting of the Georgian prime minister's special representative Zurab Abashidze with Russian officials scheduled soon.

The Geneva talks were convened after the armed conflict in Georgia in August 2008, in accordance with the Ceasefire Agreement dated Aug.12.

Military action was launched in the Georgian region of South Ossetia on Aug.8, 2008. Later Russian troops occupied the city of Tskhinvali and drove the Georgian military back. Russia recognised the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in late August.


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