Rebel Abkhazia withdraws from Georgia security talks

The breakaway Abkhazia region said Thursday it was withdrawing from internationally mediated security talks with Georgia because of a lack of progress.

A senior aide to Abkhaz leader Sergei Bagapsh, Nadir Bitiev, said in a statement the region was “temporarily withdrawing from future discussions because the sessions have not produced tangible progress”.

The talks, overseen by the European Union, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations, are aimed at preventing another flare-up in violence over Abkhazia and Georgia’s other rebel region, South Ossetia.

Georgia and Russia fought a five-day war in August 2008 over South Ossetia, after which Moscow recognised the two regions as independent states.

Eleven rounds of talks have so far been held in Geneva and the next round is due on July 27.

Bitiev said Abkhazia was also withdrawing “because the co-moderators have consistently failed to facilitate the talks in a constructive manner”.

He said Abkhazia would return to the talks when moderators “present a concrete document that includes propositions from all of the parties and enables discussion and debate”.