Russia, along with the self-proclaimed republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, has demanded legally binding guarantees on the non-use of force from Georgia.
This was stated in a press release issued following a meeting between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, de facto Foreign Minister of Abkhazia Oleg Bartsits, and Konstantin Kochiev, adviser to the so-called President of South Ossetia. It is reported that an exchange of views took place between them on September 23:
“A shared commitment was reaffirmed to maintain close coordination of joint actions within the framework of the GID [Geneva International Discussions on Security and Stability in the Transcaucasus], including in preparation for the next round scheduled for November. The priority nature of efforts to ensure the lasting security of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was underscored.
Resolving this core task, Moscow, Sukhum, and Tskhinval are convinced, is impossible without the formulation of legally binding guarantees on the non-use of force by Tbilisi against the two young republics, as well as the delimitation of the Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-South Ossetian state borders, followed by their demarcation,” the statement reads.