The United States notes the conclusion of the 58th round of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) on the Conflict in Georgia, which took place in Geneva on July 11–12th. The United States delegation, led by Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations Louis Bono, welcomed dialogue with participants seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Georgia.
The United States called upon the Russian Federation, as a party to the conflict, to fulfill immediately its clear obligation under the EU-mediated August 12, 2008, ceasefire agreement to withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions, as well as to uphold its commitments to allow unfettered access for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and not to impede the creation of international security arrangements on the ground.
According to the statement, the occupation of 20 percent of Georgia’s territory by Russia’s forces undermines Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as does Russia’s ongoing borderization. The United States applauds Georgia’s long-held commitment not to use force to resolve the conflict.
"The United States condemns, in the strongest possible terms, Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine, even as Russia continues to violate Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russia is the only party to the conflict in Georgia that currently stations its forces on the territory of another sovereign state, in flagrant violation of international law and its obligations under the 2008 ceasefire agreement.
The United States regrets that, due to a walk-out by participants from Russia and the de facto authorities, the issues of Internally Displaced Persons and refugees, water, and gas could not be fully discussed.
The United States welcomes the ongoing Ergneti Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM), which defuses tensions and improves living conditions at the local level, and the United States hopes to see the resumption of the Gali IPRM. The United States notes the partial reopening of two crossing points on the administrative boundary line with the South Ossetia region of Georgia, and we continue the call for their full reopening, which would have a positive impact for communities in conflict-affected areas", - the statement reads.
