Foreign Ministry: Russia does not consider it expedient to meet with the co-chairs of the Geneva discussions

Russia no longer considers it expedient to hold a meeting planned for February 3 in Moscow with the co-chairs of the Geneva discussions, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

According to the diplomat, the Russian side received a notification from the co-chairs of the International Geneva Discussions about the cancellation of the next 57th round planned for February 21-22 and its postponement to April 4-5.

“As a justification for this decision, the argument was given that the February deadlines “are not suitable for all participants.” This is the second consecutive postponement of the round – earlier, the “troika” of international affairs officials canceled the December meeting, shifting it to February. Last year, instead of the planned four meetings, only one took place,” quotes Zakharov press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

She noted that Moscow considered this decision as “a continuation of the destructive line of Westerners to block the work of the Moscow Railways.” “Taking into account the above, the Russian side considered it inappropriate to hold the meeting with the co-chairs, which was planned earlier for February 3 in Moscow. The trips of international experts cannot and should not replace the full-fledged activities of the Geneva format. We expect our signals to be heard in Brussels, Vienna and New York,” she concluded.

International discussions on security and stability in the Transcaucasus have been held in Geneva since 2008 with the participation of Abkhazia, Russia, Georgia, South Ossetia and the United States, mediated by special representatives from the UN, the EU and the OSCE. The work is traditionally carried out in two working groups – on security and on humanitarian issues. The Geneva discussions remain the only platform for dialogue between Sukhum, Tskhinvali and Tbilisi.