OREANDA-NEWS. July 21, 2008. The German Foreign Minister arrived in Russia after a visit to Georgia and gave a detailed account of his meetings with Georgian and Abkhaz leaders, as well as the efforts undertaken by Germany, as coordinator of the Friends of the UN Secretary-General on Georgia, to de-escalate the situation in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone.

Outlining in detail Russia's position on resolving the conflict, Dmitry Medvedev reaffirmed the need for effective, coordinated action to reduce tensions and restore confidence between Georgia and Abkhazia. He stressed that the only way out of this difficult situation was the adoption of joint documents with the obligations of non-use of force and the adoption of security guarantees stipulating the withdrawal of Georgian troops from the upper Kodori Gorge. Only such steps can unblock the negotiating process between Sukhumi and Tbilisi. The sooner these are implemented, the greater the chances for resolving other complex and sensitive issues in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict zone.

Other topical issues of bilateral relations were discussed in light of agreements concerning the schedule of Russian-German political contacts made at the meeting between President Medvedev and Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel in their unofficial meeting at the G8 summit in Toyako (Japan). These include the preparation of the next round of inter-state consultations at a summit in early October in St Petersburg.