A/S Gordon's Press Statement for Geneva Talks Round XIV

The U.S. delegation was pleased to participate in the fourteenth round of the Geneva Discussions, where we welcomed Georgia's recent unilateral declaration on the non-use of force.  This commitment, which reinforces those made by Presidents Medvedev and Saakashvili under their 2008 ceasefire, underscores Georgia's position that there is no military solution to the conflict.  We hope this gesture will contribute to confidence building and mutual trust, enabling us to improve stability, address humanitarian and human rights concerns, and bring us closer to a permanent resolution of the conflict.

The U.S. welcomed the Russian Federation's withdrawal from the village of Perevi as a step toward eventual full compliance with its ceasefire obligations.  We invite the Russian Federation to demonstrate its commitment to the peaceful resolution of the conflict by making its own formal pledge to the non-use of force.  Russian deployments in the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions by the Russian Federation are inconsistent with its ceasefire commitments and threaten stability in the region.  Such actions also demonstrate the continued need for additional transparency, including an international security presence inside Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

At the Geneva session, we continued our discussion of proposals to increase transparency and enhance stability along the administrative boundary lines. Participants all agreed that the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRMs) offer the best channel for implementation of these proposals.  The U.S. welcomed the October 28 resumption and December 10 meeting of the IPRM for South Ossetia, and we urged participants in both IPRMs to build upon their respective successes to positively affect the lives of the communities on the ground.

The humanitarian working group was constructive, including discussion of concrete activities to facilitate the return of those displaced by conflict in a manner consistent with international standards.  We also welcome progress on access to water and gas.