Russia, Georgia hold fresh security talks

Russians and Georgians on Wednesday met in a fresh round of talks aimed at preventing future flare-ups in the region.

“They started this morning at 9:00 am (0800 GMT). Everybody is there,” UN spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci said.

The Geneva meeting came a month after Tbilisi and Moscow sealed a rare deal that removed the final obstacle for Russia’s 18-year bid to join the World Trade Organization.

The WTO is set to rubberstamp Russia’s accession on Friday.

The 18th round of talks since 2008 are mediated by the European Union, the United Nations and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and are meant to prevent another flare-up in violence over the two breakaway Georgian regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Russia recognised the two rebel regions as independent after the brief 2008 war between Moscow and Tbilisi, a move condemned by Georgia’s Western allies and only followed by a handful of other states.