**Geneva International Discussion Co-Chairs Meet with Georgia and Occupied Territories**
In preparation for the upcoming 64th round of talks, scheduled for June 25-26, the co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) visited Tbilisi, Tskhinvali, and Sukhumi. The GID is a platform for dialogue between Georgia, Russia, and two occupied territories – Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
**Visit to Tbilisi**
On June 2, the co-chairs met with Georgian officials at the Foreign Ministry in Tbilisi. Deputy Foreign Minister Lasha Darsalia led the discussions, which focused on the importance of making progress on key agenda items, including Russia’s compliance with a ceasefire agreement and the return of internally displaced persons and refugees.
The Georgian side emphasized the need to restore the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) in Gali without preconditions. They also expressed concern over the humanitarian and human rights situation in the occupied regions, citing “Russia’s and its occupation regimes’ destructive and illegal actions.”
**Visit to Tskhinvali**
On June 3, the co-chairs visited occupied Tskhinvali, where they met with Konstantin Kochiev, head of the so-called South Ossetian delegation. Kochiev noted that there were “encouraging signals” regarding a potential agreement on non-use of force following the last round of talks.
**Visit to Sukhumi**
On June 4, the co-chairs visited Sukhumi and met with Abkhazia’s de facto foreign minister Oleg Bartsits. Bartsits emphasized the need for an agreement on non-use of force with Tbilisi, calling it a “cornerstone” of the Abkhaz side’s continued participation in the GID.
Bartsits also claimed that the situation in Abkhazia was “stable” and that the region was developing and cooperating with Russia. He further stated that Abkhazia intends to expand contacts abroad and work towards broad international recognition as a sovereign state.
**Analysis**
The visits by the co-chairs come at a critical time, ahead of the 64th round of talks. The discussions have been ongoing since 2008, but progress has been slow. The Georgian side remains concerned about Russia’s compliance with agreements and the humanitarian situation in occupied territories.
Meanwhile, the Abkhaz and South Ossetian sides continue to push for recognition as sovereign states. However, international recognition is unlikely without significant progress on security and humanitarian issues.
The upcoming talks will be crucial in determining the path forward for this long-standing conflict.
