14 Oct 2010

GENEVA / GEORGIA RUSSIA TALKS

The 13th round of the talks between Russia and Georgia takes place in Geneva under the auspices of the UN, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. UNTV

Posted at: October 14, 2010 5:35 pm

Duration: 03:19

Available in: SD

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STORY: GENEVA / GEORGIA RUSSIA TALKS
TRT: 3.19
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH / RUSSIAN / NATS

DATELINE: 14 OCTOBER 2010, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide shot, UN Geneva headquarters
2. Med shot, journalists
3. SOUNDBITE (French) Pierre Morel, European Union Special Representative: 
"The co-Chairs noted with regret the decision of some participants not to attend Working Group II session dealing with humanitarian issues.  Full contribution by all participants and resumption of usual format of Working Group II is essential for confidence-building and resolution of immediate humanitarian problems."
4. Cutaway, delegates 
5. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Grigory Karasin, Director of the Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation: 
"The resolution on refugees which was voted on quite recently at the beginning of September also undermined this current round of the Geneva Discussions because the South Ossetian side quite justifiably decided that that resolution made any sort of discussion in working group pointless in as much as it being conducted in New York without the South Ossetian and without the Abkhaz. This is in keeping with our own position. We consider this is yet another example of political opportunism and adventurism, the desire to politicize any issue that is related to South Ossetia and Abkhazia it's an attempt to mobilize international public opinion and to blacken the position of the Russian Federation."
6. Cutaway, delegates
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Giorgi Bokeria, First Deputy Foreign Minister, Georgia:  
"We had the 13th round of the Geneva Discussions. Two years have passed but we must clearly state that despite all the commendable efforts by the co-Chairs we haven't moved on the principal issues anywhere further than the statement of good intention, and this is rather unfortunate.  Despite two years negotiation we have a continuous Russian occupation of 20 per cent of Georgian territory, complete failure by Russian Federation to abide by its own commitments under the 12th August agreement between Saakashvili and Medvedev, brokered by Sarkozy to withdraw troops from the territory of Georgia."
8. Cutaway, delegates

STORYLINE:

The 13th round of the talks between Russia and Georgia took place in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The talks are aimed at restoring stability in the region following the conflict between the two countries in August 2008.

Pierre Morel from the EU said the co-chairs noted with regret the decision of some participants not to attend the Working Group II session dealing with humanitarian issues. He said full contribution by all participants and resumption of the usual format of Working Group II was essential for confidence building and resolution of immediate humanitarian problems.

Russia blamed this on an earlier resolution by the UN General Assembly in September which approved the return of forced migrants back to the breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia.  "We consider this is yet another example of political opportunism and adventurism," said head of the Russian Delegation Grigory Karasin.

Georgia's First Deputy Foreign Minister Giorgi Bokeria said that Russia occupies "20 per cent of Georgian territory" which he called "a complete failure by Russian Federation to abide by its own commitments under the 12th August agreement between Saakashvili and Medvedev, brokered by Sarkozy to withdraw troops from the territory of Georgia."

The next round of talks will be held on 16 December 2010.