Daur Kove, the Foreign Minister met with Antti Turunen, Gunter Bechler and Toivo Claar, the co-chairs of the Geneva discussions on security and stability in Transcaucasia from the UN, EU and OSCE on November 23.
From the Abkhaz side: Lasha Avidzba, Arthur Gaguliya, Irakli Tuzhba the staff of the Abkhazian Ministry of Foreign Affairs took part in the meeting as the participants of the Geneva discussions.
Opening the meeting, Daur Kove greeted Toivo Claar, the new co-chairman of the European Union. "I express hope and confidence that your presence and the beginning of your work in the framework of the Geneva discussions will bear fruit." We have a good team whose work is aimed at the achieving of the goal ", said Daur Kove.
Before discussing of the forthcoming agenda of the 42-nd round of the Geneva discussions, Daur Kove drew the attention of the co-chairs of the Geneva discussions to a provocative step by the government of Georgia related to the dismantling of the monument in the Scottish city of Kilmarnock.
"To our great regret, we hear the statements of the Georgian side, where it is said that dismantling of the monument and subsequent changes in the inscription will contribute to the process of peacekeeping and the rapprochement of the Georgian and Abkhaz peoples. I want to assure you that such initiatives are unacceptable and the Abkhazian society is extremely negative about this incident. We will never allow the names of defenders of the Fatherland and aggressors to be put in one row ", the Head of the Abkhaz FM noted.
Each of the participants received an appeal from the Abkhaz Foreign Ministry in which the Abkhaz side called on the Co-Chairs to express their official reaction to the step taken by the Georgian side related to the dismantling of the monument in Kilmarnock.
Toivo Claar, the new co-chairman of the Geneva talks from the European Union, thanked Daur Kove for his wish for success in his new work and spoke on the dismantling of the monument in Kilmarnock.
"Monuments are erected at a certain time, in a certain place in this respect, all parties should be respected and we believe that local authorities should make efforts to preserve the integrity of the monument. We appeal to all parties of the Geneva discussions to respect the heritage of the past," - said Claar.
"We are talking about the acquisition of 72 sighting sets by Georgia, 410 missiles of the antitank complexes, 10 training complexes and 70 charges to them. According to the Georgian side this weapon is acquired as a defensive one. But this causes serious concern in Abkhazia, "the Minister said.
The Minister expressed the hope that the military rhetoric of Georgia will still reduce its heat and at the Geneva discussions it will be possible to come to the signing of a joint statement on the non-use of force.
Antti Turunen, the co-chairman of the Geneva discussions on security and stability in Transcaucasia from the UN noted that that was the last visit to Abkhazia in that status for him.
"For a long time, I have felt the support of the Abkhaz authorities, I am very grateful for that and I hope that this support will be provided in the future when my successor enters my post", Turunen said.
Antti Turunen said that he supports the initiative of the Abkhazian Foreign Ministry on the need to sign a binding document between Abkhazia and Georgia on the non-use of force.
The next 42-nd round of the Geneva discussions on security and stability in Transcaucasia is scheduled for December 12-13, 2017.
From the Abkhaz side: Lasha Avidzba, Arthur Gaguliya, Irakli Tuzhba the staff of the Abkhazian Ministry of Foreign Affairs took part in the meeting as the participants of the Geneva discussions.
Opening the meeting, Daur Kove greeted Toivo Claar, the new co-chairman of the European Union. "I express hope and confidence that your presence and the beginning of your work in the framework of the Geneva discussions will bear fruit." We have a good team whose work is aimed at the achieving of the goal ", said Daur Kove.
Before discussing of the forthcoming agenda of the 42-nd round of the Geneva discussions, Daur Kove drew the attention of the co-chairs of the Geneva discussions to a provocative step by the government of Georgia related to the dismantling of the monument in the Scottish city of Kilmarnock.
"To our great regret, we hear the statements of the Georgian side, where it is said that dismantling of the monument and subsequent changes in the inscription will contribute to the process of peacekeeping and the rapprochement of the Georgian and Abkhaz peoples. I want to assure you that such initiatives are unacceptable and the Abkhazian society is extremely negative about this incident. We will never allow the names of defenders of the Fatherland and aggressors to be put in one row ", the Head of the Abkhaz FM noted.
Each of the participants received an appeal from the Abkhaz Foreign Ministry in which the Abkhaz side called on the Co-Chairs to express their official reaction to the step taken by the Georgian side related to the dismantling of the monument in Kilmarnock.
Toivo Claar, the new co-chairman of the Geneva talks from the European Union, thanked Daur Kove for his wish for success in his new work and spoke on the dismantling of the monument in Kilmarnock.
"Monuments are erected at a certain time, in a certain place in this respect, all parties should be respected and we believe that local authorities should make efforts to preserve the integrity of the monument. We appeal to all parties of the Geneva discussions to respect the heritage of the past," - said Claar.
"We are talking about the acquisition of 72 sighting sets by Georgia, 410 missiles of the antitank complexes, 10 training complexes and 70 charges to them. According to the Georgian side this weapon is acquired as a defensive one. But this causes serious concern in Abkhazia, "the Minister said.
The Minister expressed the hope that the military rhetoric of Georgia will still reduce its heat and at the Geneva discussions it will be possible to come to the signing of a joint statement on the non-use of force.
Antti Turunen, the co-chairman of the Geneva discussions on security and stability in Transcaucasia from the UN noted that that was the last visit to Abkhazia in that status for him.
"For a long time, I have felt the support of the Abkhaz authorities, I am very grateful for that and I hope that this support will be provided in the future when my successor enters my post", Turunen said.
Antti Turunen said that he supports the initiative of the Abkhazian Foreign Ministry on the need to sign a binding document between Abkhazia and Georgia on the non-use of force.
The next 42-nd round of the Geneva discussions on security and stability in Transcaucasia is scheduled for December 12-13, 2017.