18 February 2009
United States Welcomes Progress in Russia-Georgia Talks
Parties agree to build confidence with improved lines of communication
Washington — Russian and Georgian negotiators in Geneva agreed to avoid new clashes by opening new lines of communication, a move cautiously welcomed by Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried as “a significant success” for efforts to resolve the August 2008 conflict over Georgia’s Moscow-backed separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
“It was a day with a step forward,” Fried told reporters February 18 following the fourth round of international talks co-hosted by the European Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations. “Considering that six months ago we were dealing with a war, I’ll take the good news where I can.”
Russian and Georgian forces, along with separatist militias and international monitors will meet at least once a week in an effort to address continuing security incidents and prevent them from escalating into wider conflicts. The parties also agreed to allow international monitors more access to the disputed territories, as well as to set up a hot line dedicated to defusing emergency situations, said European Union representative Pierre Morel.
Fried, who serves as assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, said that security conditions along Georgia’s administrative boundaries with the separatist regions remained “dire,” and sporadic attacks on Georgian police officers and area residents continue to threaten progress toward peace.
Fried also expressed concern about many families displaced by the August conflict who are still unable to return to their homes in the region, fearing attacks by South Ossetian militias and others seeking to exploit the lack of law enforcement in the area.
“The situation there cannot be left on autopilot,” said Fried, urging care in implementing the agreement and continued momentum in the Geneva peace talks. “Things in Georgia, if neglected, tend to get worse.”
The latest round of negotiations failed to produce agreement on access for humanitarian aid shipments into South Ossetia, Fried said, a requirement set out by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1866, but he noted modest progress in both restoring utilities in South Ossetia and setting up shelters for displaced families in Abkhazia.
Fried expressed hope that security improvements would give South Ossetian authorities the confidence to allow humanitarian assistance shipments. “All of the parties have a responsibility to move ahead as fast as possible to improve the situation on the ground,” Fried said.
While the United States continues to call on Russia to honor the August 7 EU-brokered cease-fire agreement and withdraw all forces to pre-conflict positions, Fried acknowledged that Moscow’s decision to recognize the regions as independent states and build up Russian forces indicates that they will not be leaving. (See “U.S. Opposes Russian Military Bases in Abkhazia, South Ossetia.”)
Nevertheless, Fried pledged that the United States would continue working with Moscow to promote peace in the region, as well as in other global diplomatic and security challenges as part of the Obama administration’s efforts to improve U.S.-Russian relations. “We and the Russians have a fundamental disagreement, [but] that disagreement need not prevent our working together in other areas,” he said.
“We could easily fall into a shouting match each time we discuss Georgia, but that doesn’t get us anywhere,” Fried added. “So, although I can register these disagreements, I’m also emphasizing that there is an area of overlapping or potentially overlapping U.S.-Russian interests upon which we can build.”
A transcript of Fried’s remarks is available on America.gov.
What actions should President Obama consider to help promote peace and security? Comment on America.gov’s blog.
