Mikhail Galuzin says Geneva talks should move from Switzerland, arguing country has lost its neutrality
Russia has again called for the Geneva International Discussions on Security and Stability in the South Caucasus to move from Geneva to another venue. Moscow argues that Switzerland has lost its status as a neutral mediator and that the current format no longer meets the needs of the process. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin made the remarks in an interview with the state news agency TASS.
“We have raised this issue repeatedly, we continue to do so, and we will keep pursuing it firmly and actively,” Galuzin said.
According to Galuzin, Switzerland is no longer neutral because it joined Western sanctions against Russia. He also argued that sanctions had led to the suspension of direct flights between Moscow and Geneva, making travel more difficult for delegations taking part in the talks.
Galuzin said moving the discussions to another venue would not only serve Russia’s interests but would also create more convenient conditions for all participants in the process.
The Russian deputy foreign minister said that “three of the five national delegations taking part in the talks support changing the venue – Russia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia”.
“Our allies support us. We expect the three co-chairs to take this issue very seriously,” he said.
On 30 April, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that moving the Geneva International Discussions to another location, including Minsk, remained under consideration.
At the same time, Zakharova said the main issue was not the venue but reaching agreement. She argued that years of negotiations had shown that the parties should prioritise results rather than changing the location of the talks.
Zakharova said the debate over relocating the discussions stemmed from questions about Switzerland’s neutrality and its position on Western sanctions against Russia. She added that the issue was complex and that it was too early to discuss it publicly in detail, although work on the matter was continuing.
After the August 2008 war, Georgia and Russia suspended direct dialogue. Under the 12 August 2008 ceasefire agreement, the sides established the Geneva International Discussions as a forum where representatives of Georgia, Russia, Sukhumi and Tskhinvali, together with international organisations, discuss humanitarian and other issues arising from the conflict. The participants hold four rounds of talks each year.
Galuzin calls for Geneva talks to move from Switzerland
