MOSCOW, June 25./TASS/: Moscow notes attempts by Tbilisi to politicize the issue of the novel coronavirus, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday after a video conference of Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko and the co-chairs of the Geneva discussions on security and stability in Transcaucasia.
The sides continued discussing key issues of regional stability and security amid the persisting threat of the coronavirus pandemic. Zakharova said that Moscow had expressed concern over a destructive policy by Tbilisi. "Attempts continue to politicize the issue of the spread of the novel coronavirus, and against this backdrop the refusal of the Georgian leadership to conduct a constructive dialogue with Sukhum and Tskhinval on current issues, primarily on the border dossier, is regrettable," she noted.
The diplomat also said that the participants in discussions had emphasized the importance of continuing teamwork in that format, as well as the importance of the mechanism of response to incidents with an aim to encourage the parties to exercise restraint. They "confirmed readiness to continue contacts in the format of an online conference whenever necessary, and agreed that the timeframe for a next round of the Geneva discussions, this time in the face-to-face format, will be determined with a glance to the epidemiological situation," she summed up.
Geneva discussions
The Geneva discussions on Transcaucasia remain the sole platform for a dialogue between Sukhum, Tskhinval and Tbilisi on the basis of the agreements between the Russian and French presidents achieved after the armed conflict in August 2008. Taking part in Geneva discussions are representatives from Abkhazia, Georgia, Russia, the US and South Ossetia, as well as observers from the United Nations, the European Union and the European security agency. The co-chairs of the international discussions are Toivo Klaar (EU), Rudolf Michalka (OSCE) and Cihan Sultanoglu (UN).
The main aim is to achieve a legally binding agreement on the non-use of force between Abkhazia and Georgia, as well as between South Ossetia and Georgia.
