TBILISI, October 6 (RIA Novosti) - Georgia will once again call on Russia to take on a non-use of force commitment during the Geneva negotiations scheduled for October 7-8, the press service of the Georgian Foreign Ministry announced Monday.
The Georgian delegation led by First Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani left for Geneva October 6 to participate in the upcoming 29th round of international discussions on South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
"The Georgian delegation will once again raise the question of the necessity of Russia's taking on a non-use of force commitment, and clearly outline the issue of using international mechanisms in Georgian occupied territories (Abkhazia and Tskhinvali district)," a statement of the ministry's press service read.
Georgia also aims to focus on the issue of human rights in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali district (South Ossetia) and the adjacent territories. The humanitarian situation in regions that are not officially controlled by Tbilisi will also be reviewed.
"The Georgian side will once again voice a strong protest in respect of violations of the fundamental rights of the local population, including the right to freedom of movement and education in their mother tongue," the statement read.
The Geneva negotiations have been held regularly since October 2008 in accordance with agreements made following the August 2008 war in Georgia with the mediation of the European Union, UN and OSCE. Russia, Georgia, the US and representatives of South Ossetia and Abkhazia are parties to the talks.
Following Russia's recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Georgia severed diplomatic relations with Russia. In Georgia, the regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia have the status of the occupied territories. The new Georgian government formed in 2012 called the normalization of relations with Russia one of its key priorities.
