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Another round of Transcaucasia talks due in Geneva December 18

MOSCOW, December 12 (Itar-Tass) - Another round of international discussions of Transcaucasia issues will take place December 18 in Geneva, Russian Foreign Ministry reported Thursday.

Abkhazia, Georgia, Russia, the US, South Ossetia as well as the UN, the OECD and the EU will participate in pending talks. Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin will lead the Russian delegation.

On the agenda is the situation on the borders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia with Georgia and the region’s social and economic development.

“The security group will traditionally focus on working out reliable guarantees of Georgia’s non-violence against neighbouring states,” the ministry said. “The parties will proceed with the existing projects in this sphere, including Russia’s initiative of a joint statement of all participants in Geneva consultation on non-use of force.” The round will review the mechanisms to prevent and respond to incidents in the mentioned border areas.

Meanwhile, “the humanitarian group will continue discussing issues within its competence of interest to the participants, including the exchange of persons detained in border areas and the search for missing people,” the ministry added.

The talks started almost five years ago on the basis of Russian-French accord following the August 2008 tragedy in South Ossetia.

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