"Progress at Caucasus security talks"

International talks in Geneva on security in the Caucasuss in the wake of the Russia-Georgia conflict produced some progress, the UN and EU mediators said. The European Union, the United Nations, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) co-chaired on Tuesday and Wednesday the second round of talks, involving Russia, the U.S., and Georgia's two disputed regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia. "Progress at Caucasus security talks" The UN secretary general's special envoy for Georgia, Johan Verbeke, told a news conference after the meetings that the participants had moved on from procedural discussions and had agreed on steps to demarcate borders and return refugees. "I'd call this a quantum leap. All of the delegations did speak, all of the delegations listened," he told reporters. An earlier round of negotiations that began on October 15 was suspended after Georgia refused to attend meetings involving Abkhazia and South Ossetia, both of which were recognized by Russia as independent states after a brief war with Georgia, which attacked South Ossetia on August 8. EU Special Representative for the Georgia crisis Pierre Morel said working group sessions were held to discuss means of preventing further violence. "All the participants in these working groups were fully engaged in a productive discussion on the key questions of the security and stability of the region, and of displaced people as well as refugees," he said. Morel said the situation in the Caucasus remains unstable. Shootings and abductions have been reported along the de facto border between Georgia and South Ossetia since after the armed conflict, with the sides blaming each other for continuing violence. The third round of talks has been scheduled for December 17-18, Morel said. A Russian deputy foreign minister praised the talks, saying Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia had been equally represented. "It was critically important that all three Caucasus states had absolutely equal representation in all activities, without exception," Grigory Karasin told journalists in Geneva. Karasin also said Russia would continue to press for an embargo on offensive arms supplies to Georgia, and a legally binding pledge from the ex-Soviet Caucasus state not to use force against South Ossetia and Abkhazia. A Georgian Foreign Ministry official taking part in the talks, Shota Utiashvili, said: "The process has begun. We welcome this." However, he said talks on Georgian refugees' return to the disputed areas and the establishment of international monitors' presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which the regions have opposed, would be a lengthy process.

"Progress at Caucasus security talks"

The UN secretary general's special envoy for Georgia, Johan Verbeke, told a news conference after the meetings that the participants had moved on from procedural discussions and had agreed on steps to demarcate borders and return refugees.

"I'd call this a quantum leap. All of the delegations did speak, all of the delegations listened," he told reporters.

An earlier round of negotiations that began on October 15 was suspended after Georgia refused to attend meetings involving Abkhazia and South Ossetia, both of which were recognized by Russia as independent states after a brief war with Georgia, which attacked South Ossetia on August 8.

EU Special Representative for the Georgia crisis Pierre Morel said working group sessions were held to discuss means of preventing further violence.

"All the participants in these working groups were fully engaged in a productive discussion on the key questions of the security and stability of the region, and of displaced people as well as refugees," he said.

Morel said the situation in the Caucasus remains unstable.

Shootings and abductions have been reported along the de facto border between Georgia and South Ossetia since after the armed conflict, with the sides blaming each other for continuing violence.

The third round of talks has been scheduled for December 17-18, Morel said.

A Russian deputy foreign minister praised the talks, saying Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia had been equally represented.

"It was critically important that all three Caucasus states had absolutely equal representation in all activities, without exception," Grigory Karasin told journalists in Geneva.

Karasin also said Russia would continue to press for an embargo on offensive arms supplies to Georgia, and a legally binding pledge from the ex-Soviet Caucasus state not to use force against South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

A Georgian Foreign Ministry official taking part in the talks, Shota Utiashvili, said: "The process has begun. We welcome this."

However, he said talks on Georgian refugees' return to the disputed areas and the establishment of international monitors' presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which the regions have opposed, would be a lengthy process.