Georgia, Tbilisi, Dec. 3 / Trend N. Kirtskhalia /
Georgian Deputy Prime Minister Giorgi Baramidze, who is on a working visit to Great Britain, held bilateral meetings with Chairman of the British Parliamentary Foreign Committee Richard Ottaway and Parliamentary Secretary to the State Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood.
Baramidze presented detailed information on the situation in the Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as information on the peaceful settlement of the 2008 conflict and the peace initiatives of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia unilaterally declared independence from Georgia after the 2008 August war. The separatist regions were supported by Russia. Later, Moscow established diplomatic relations with the de facto states despite protests from the West. Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
The dialogue to restore stability in the region of the Georgian conflict is conducted within the Geneva talks, which have been held since October 2008 on the basis of agreements reached after the events in South Ossetia in August 2008.
The Geneva talks are attended by delegations from Georgia, Russia, the United States, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia, as well as representatives from the EU, U.N. and OSCE. The only result of these meetings so far has been a document containing proposals for mechanisms to prevent and resolve incidents in the zone of the Georgian conflict.
Baramidze also spoke about Georgia's successful reforms, its transit role in ensuring Europe's energy security and its integration into NATO and the EU.