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him more time than the meeting itself,” Lavrov said at a press conference held at the UN headquarters.
Georgian authorities issued a press release mentioning the meeting between the two foreign ministers “on the initiative and organization of the Swiss Confederation”, mentioning a list of priority topics that were reportedly discussed.
“At the meeting, the Georgian side discussed the issue of de-occupation of Georgian territories, and discussed the current security environment and developments in the occupied territories, as well as issues concerning Georgia-Russia relations,” the press release read.
In an interview with Imedi TV, Zalkaliani said that he received a promise from Russia that both the Geneva International Discussions as well as Prague economic talks would continue, despite Deputy FM Grigory Karasin’s resignation.
The 48th round of the Geneva International Discussions, the only international format on the Georgia conflict issues, ended without results in July this year. Moreover, Russia recently announced plans to re-equip the armed forces of the separatist self-declared republic of Abkhazia on Georgian territory. President Vladimir Putin has ordered funding for the re-equipping, although it is not yet known how much will be allocated and what the project specifically provides for, JAM News reported.
On the border of the other separatist breakaway region, South Ossetia, tensions are rising, with the separatist authorities building fences and closing checkpoints.
2.2 Council of Europe urges Russia to pay €10mn of due compensation to deported Georgians
The Council of Europe has called on Russia to comply with obligations imposed by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) by immediately paying €10mn of due compensation in favour of ethnic Georgians illegally arrested and deported in 2006.
In September of 2006, Georgian nationals were forcibly expelled from Russia in response to the arrest of four Russian officers in Georgia on charges of spying. For almost three months, ethnic Georgians all over Russia were subsequently arrested and deported. Their rights were violated, their treatment was inhumane and three of them ended up dying in custody, the court determined.
A ECHR judgement in January 2019 stated that Georgian nationals who were the victims of collective expulsion from Russia in the autumn of 2006 would receive €2,000 each, while €10,000 to €15,000 each would go to the victims of unlawful deprivation of liberty and inhuman and degrading conditions of detention.
The ECHR held by 16 votes to one that Russia has to pay Georgia €10mn for non-pecuniary damage suffered by a group of at least 1,500 Georgian
7 GEORGIA Country Report October 2019 www.intellinews.com
