Georgia-Russia first attempt at talks collapses

THE first high-level talks between Russia and Georgia since their war broke down yesterday, but international sponsors said the negotiations had only hit a procedural snag and would resume next month.

The delegations from Russia and its allies in the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia left the talks before their scheduled end.

“They no longer continue to talk,” UN spokeswoman Elena Ponomareva said. “They are finished.”

The talks were called to discuss several issues including whether both sides were complying with an EU-brokered cease-fire, security, the return of refugees and human rights and what steps need to be taken.

Originally, senior ministers were expected in Geneva for substantive discussions. Diplomats said the meeting was downgraded because of differences over the participation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

EU representative Pierre Morel said the talks had “encountered procedural difficulties” and all parties had decided to suspend the meeting. He said they would meet again on November 18.

“I don’t think at this point it would be useful to go into the details,” Morel said, but he suggested the problem had to do with the status of the breakaway delegations and how to arrange the meetings to include them.

The choice was made to take “some breathing space” to handle the procedural points, said Johan Verbeke, special UN envoy for Georgia. “The process is on track.”

Russia arrived 50 minutes late for the opening of the talks, underscoring its objection to the exclusion of representatives from Abkhazia and South Ossetia. A half-hour later, when the meeting moved to a format that included the representatives of the regions, the Georgian delegation left.

Tbilisi considers both regions to be part of Georgia, but Moscow has recognised them as independent countries.

Sessions apparently continued with one party or the other absent until mid-afternoon.

The one-day talks were hosted by the European Union, the United Nations and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.