A preparatory meeting for the 61st round of the Geneva International Discussions

On 10 June 2024, a preparatory meeting for the 61st round of the Geneva International Discussions took place in Tbilisi, involving the co-chairmen from the European Union, the United Nations, and the OSCE.

The meeting was chaired by Lasha Darsalia, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the head of the Georgian delegation to the Geneva International Discussions.

The importance of effective functioning of the Geneva International Discussions was emphasized at the meeting. In this context, the necessity of making the progress on core issues of the GID agenda – implementation of international obligations by Russia under the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement and the need for progress in ensuring the safe and dignified return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees to their homes, was stressed.

It was also emphasized that the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) in Gali needs to be restored without any preconditions and that it should be held regularly in Gali and Ergneti, following the basic principles.

During the meeting, the Georgian side raised serious concerns about the challenging security, humanitarian, and human rights situation in the occupied regions and near the occupation line. The Georgian side also expressed its concern regarding the holding of so-called elections in Georgia’s occupied regions and condemned the so-called parliamentary elections held in the occupied Tskhinvali region on 9 June.

The 61st round of the Geneva International Discussions is scheduled to take place on 25-26 June 2024.