On November 10–11, the 68th round of the Geneva International Discussions on Security and Stability in the South Caucasus took place in Geneva. The negotiations were attended by delegations from Georgia, Russia, and the United States, as well as representatives of the de facto authorities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The talks were co-chaired by representatives of the European Union, the United Nations, and the OSCE.
In statements released following the meeting, Sokhumi and Tskhinvali identified the conclusion of a legally binding non-use of force agreement with Georgia as their key priority.
According to Tbilisi’s official position, Georgia has already unilaterally undertaken a commitment to the non-use of force. As for signing a formal document, the Georgian side stresses that such a treaty must be negotiated exclusively with the Russian Federation, since Russia—and not the de facto authorities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia—is the party to the conflict.
According to information from the de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia, the Tskhinvali delegation supported continuing work on a joint political document on the non-use of force.
“Despite substantial differences in the parties’ approaches to formulating a political document on the non-use of force, the South Ossetian participants spoke in favor of continuing work on this draft, which would serve as an important step toward preparing a fully fledged, legally binding agreement on the non-use of force or the threat of force between Georgia and the Republic of South Ossetia,” the statement from the Tskhinvali authorities read.
The de facto Foreign Ministry of Abkhazia reported that the Sokhumi delegation likewise reiterated the demand for a legally binding document on the non-use of force:
“During the discussion of security issues, the Abkhaz side reaffirmed the urgent necessity of drafting and signing a legally binding document on international guarantees for the non-use of force by Georgia against the Republic of Abkhazia. It was stressed that reaching such agreements remains the central item on the agenda of the International Discussions and is of fundamental importance for ensuring enduring security and stability in the South Caucasus.”
The next, 69th round of the Geneva Discussions is scheduled for March 2027.
