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DISCUSSIONS OVER
GEORGIA END WITH A PROMISE TO MEET AGAIN IN NOVEMBER, BY CAROLINE PATTON:
15/10/2008
(MaximsNews Network)
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UNITED
NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network / 15
October 2008 -- The
issues at the center of the talks surrounding the situation in Georgia have yet
to have been decided as the group, comprising Georgia, Russia, the European
Union (EU), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and
the UN, broke up today. They are due
to resume in
Geneva
a month from now on 18 November.
A
top UN official at the sessions said that the
break will allow for “breathing space.”
The talks became tense today after a
“procedural incident” and meetings were
canceled for the afternoon. However, Johan
Verbeke, Ban Ki-Moon’s Special
Representative for
Georgia
, has urged against making too much of the
disagreement and shared few details.
Mr.
Verbeke has made clear that the international
community should not expect immediate answers
to the issues that remain in debate. The
Secretary-General has likewise held that,
“It may take time, so we need to have some
patience on addressing this issue” and added
that, “We should not be too impatient or in
a hurry to have a so-called ‘quick fix’
resolution of this issue.”
He
called the work so far only a “beginning”
and opined that, “In a short time we need to
try our best efforts among the parties
concerned to restore confidence so that we can
establish a good conflict resolution process
in the end.”
Ban
Ki-Moon also praised the willingness of all
parties to work through the remaining
disagreements diplomatically and using
negotiations and pointed to the peace
agreement that ended the conflict over
Georgia
as a “good framework” for moving forward.
Landing
yesterday in
Geneva
, the Secretary-General has spoken with a
variety of representatives of the countries
involved, including EU Special Representative
for Georgia Pierre Morel and OSCE
Secretary-General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut.
On
his mind in addition to the future of the
talks has been the role of the UN Observer
Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) whose status
remains in doubt. It has been in place since
1993, when it was set up to administer the
implementation of the ceasefire reached
between the Georgian army and Abkhaz fighters
seeking independence. It does not conduct its
operations in South Ossetia, the site of the
clashes between
Georgia
and
Russia
back in August.
Ban
Ki-Moon reminded the world that, “The United
Nations has gained over 15 years of
accumulated experience and know-how in terms
of military observation, human rights,
policing, humanitarian assistance, displaced
persons and good offices.” However, the
recent violence in
Georgia
has potentially upset the continuation of the
mission.
The
Secretary General has revealed that the UN has
“been in contact with the authorities of
Abkhazia and they also further indicated that
the United Nations should also continue to
operate in that area. This is a good sign.”
Earlier this month, the Security Council
approved a proposal to lengthen the
mission’s mandate. It is now set to continue
to operate at least until 15 February 2009.
--- Caroline
Patton
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