21:00, 1 July 2009

Georgia is ready to sign a non-use of force treaty in Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Today, at the next round of consultations in Geneva on security and stability in the Caucasus, Georgiy Bokeriya, deputy minister of foreign affairs, has stated that Georgia is ready to sign a non-use of force treaty in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. He has noted that only Russia can be the counterpart of such treaty.

"We know that the Russian party will demand signing a non-use of force treaty by Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia; but we don't recognize such subjects and are ready to sign the treaty with Russia in exchange for de-occupation of Georgian territories and deployment of international peacekeeping forces with police functions in Abkhazia and South Ossetia," the "Echo Moskvy" Radio quotes Mr Bokeriya as saying.

Head of the Russian delegation - Gregory Karassin, deputy foreign minister of the Russian Federation - has answered to this offer that the main thing for Russia is to have guarantees of security for the local Abkhazian and South-Ossetian population, as reported by the ITAR-TASS.