The events of June 20-21 in Tbilisi complicated the course of the Geneva discussions on Transcaucasia, making them more nervous, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said on Wednesday after another round of discussions.
"The situation around the negotiations was a little nervous because of the events of June 20-21 in Tbilisi. I felt that the co-chairs were nervous too, because they didn’t know what all this would take and whether there would be some open confrontation right at the meeting. But we agreed that this is not the agenda of the meetings in Geneva, that we will continue to follow our agenda - security issues, questions of the situation on the ground, the humanitarian bloc, non-use of force and so on, "he said.
The Deputy Minister has noted that the entire agenda was discussed.
"But, nevertheless, it affects what we did not solve the main issue - status ... ensuring humanitarian rights for residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. When we return to the old coil, the degree of discussion grows," he added.
The capital of Georgia on June 20 was overwhelmed by protests, the protesters opposed the participation of Russian delegates in the session of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy. The radicals seized the parliament building, where the Russian representatives were. SWAT dispersed the rally, but the protests continued on June 21. 240 people were injured, more than 300 were detained. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, against the background of the protests in Tbilisi, called Russia an "enemy", saying that Moscow was allegedly interested in a social split in the country.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called her words unprofessional and suggested that she didn’t get into the picture or distorted the situation. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree prohibiting Russian airlines from carrying out air transportation of citizens from Russia to Georgia from July 8, it was recommended that tour operators and agents not sell vouchers. The government is instructed to ensure the return of the Russians to their homeland. The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation reported that flights of Georgian airlines to Russia will be suspended from July 8.
