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Geneva Talks Postponed amid Coronavirus Fears

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Cihan Sultanoğlu, Toivo Klaar and Rudolf Michalka. Photo: facebook.com/mfageorgia

The Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GDI), UN Representative Cihan Sultanoğlu, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus Rudolf Michalka, and EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar decided to postpone the 51st GID round, which was set to take place on 31 March – 1 April, 2020.

In their press statement released on March 16 the Co-Chairs noted that the decision was taken “after carefully reviewing circumstances related to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus.”

“The Co-Chairs will take every effort to closely keep contact and engage with all participants using available tools to adequately address pertinent security  and humanitarian related issues, among others, on the GID agenda,” reads the statement.

Concluding the statement the Co-Chairs stated that they will “closely follow developments related to COVID-19 and consider next steps in organizing the 51st round in due course.”

The GIDs are co-chaired by representatives of OSCE, EU and UN, and involve participants from Georgia, Russia and the United States, as well as members of both the Georgian exiled administrations of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia and the two regions’ Russian-backed authorities, in their personal capacities. Sessions are held in two working groups, with the first group discussing peace and security matters, and the second – humanitarian concerns.

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