Photo: www.nato.int
A regular round of the Geneva International Discussions on security and stability in the South Caucasus that were held in Switzerland’s Geneva, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation said in a press communique on October 8. The Geneva discussions involved the Republic of Abkhazia, Georgia, the Russian Federation, the United States, and the Republic of South Ossetia, and was co-chaired by the UN, OSCE and EU.
The delegations of Abkhazia, Russia, and South Ossetia pointed out their growing concern over the deepening military cooperation between Georgia and NATO:
In particular, the delegations pointed to the destabilising effect on security in the region of the early phase of the practical implementation of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, the opening of the NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Centre in late August, and the US plans to expand joint military exercises in Georgia, including elements of a rapid response force that includes the prompt delivery of troops and military equipment from Europe. These developments are at odds with Tbilisi’s military-restraint obligations assumed by it in accordance with the August 12, 2008 agreements.