Geneva International Discussions continue to provide unique platform for tackling issues of peace and stability, say Co-Chairs reporting to OSCE Permanent Council

VIENNA, 22 October 2015 – In their annual report to the OSCE Permanent Council, the Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions: OSCE Special Representative Angelo Gnädinger, United Nations (UN) Representative Antti Turunen and European Union (EU) Special Representative Herbert Salber, stressed the importance of political will to continue negotiations and consolidate dialogue within the Discussions’ format and assessed the current security situation on the ground as stable and relatively calm.

The Geneva International Discussions were launched seven years ago and bring together participants from Tbilisi, Moscow, Washington, Tskhinvali and Sukhumi.

Ambassador Gnädinger, Special Representative of the Serbian OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, noted that the Geneva International Discussions have proved to be the right platform to discuss core issues such as the conclusion of a joint non-use of force statement or addressing in earnest the situation of internally displaced persons and refugees.

“The gradual consolidation of the Geneva talks throughout 2015 has allowed the participants to have frank and substantive exchanges on their respective perception of the security situation and on risk factors identified by either side,” Gnädinger said.

Ambassador Salber, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, stressed that “only with the commitment and political will of participants will we be able to sustain this momentum.”

Salber said that although discussions were often not easy, they were “much more open and substance-oriented and ultimately in the interest of finding solutions to improve the lives of the people on the ground.”

Ambassador Turunen, UN Representative to the Geneva International Discussions, also underscored the value of the Geneva International Discussions as the platform for all participants “to express views, raise concerns or exchange information in order to dispel any misunderstanding and prevent tension.”

He also pointed to an emerging tendency to open channels for bilateral contacts and discussions on the margins of the Geneva rounds and expressed hope that this interaction will develop further.

Dealing with humanitarian issues remains a core task of the Geneva International Discussions. The Co-Chairs raised the issue of protecting the rights and improving the daily lives of conflict-affected populations including displaced persons and moving forward on missing persons. They also appealed to the participants of the Geneva International Discussions to ensure the protection of freedom of movement in the region.