International Center on Conflict and Negotiation (ICCN)

The August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia has altered the geopolitical situation in the Caucasus and has heavily affected a broad range of security issues in Eurasia. Since then, there has not been any visible progress in Georgia-Russia relations, which has resulted in the further polarization of public perceptions of all sides involved in the conflict.

In November 2008, following the crisis in the region, a meeting of prominent independent political experts and opinion leaders from Georgia and Russia was organised by the International Center on Conflict and Negotiation (ICCN) within the framework of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC). Held in Istanbul, Turkey, the symposium was entitled: "Georgia-Russia Relations: Ways Out of Crisis". Participants analyzed the fundamental causes of the conflict as well as the key factors which triggered the eruption of violence and discussed mechanisms to support strategies that could stabilize relations.

The members of this unique initiative have decided to continue their work together under the title of the "Istanbul Process". For this reason, a second round of dialogue meetings was organized in November 2009 with the participation of enlarged groups on both sides. Participants in the process assessed the current state of relations between Georgia and Russia, presented very detailed analyses of the root causes and possible scenarios of further geopolitical development in the region, and identified steps that should be taken in order to overcome the crisis. One of the key messages of the meeting was that the dialogue process between Russia and Georgia has to be continued on different levels, and that civil society should play a more active role in this process.

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Following the two-day discussion on a broad range of issues, the participants came to the following conclusions:

• Russia-Georgia relations have been experiencing a deep crisis, which was further heavily complicated by the August 2008 war. This crisis negatively affects a broad range of regional issues;
• There is no alternative to the development of Russia-Georgia dialogue if we desire to overcome the crisis;
• The dialogue on a broad range of issues related to Russia-Georgia relations should continue to be developed without any preconditions, and no topics should be excluded from discussion;
• In order to achieve an impact on the broader public, the dialogue needs to be continued on different levels and in different formats, with civil society playing a key role in this process;
• The dialogue needs to be developed based on a “step-by-step” principle in order to promote movement towards the main goal, which is a gradual normalisation of Georgia-Russia relations;
• There is a prospect of a mutually acceptable resolution of the Abkhazia and South Ossetia issues, which should take place through peaceful means only and in accordance with the acknowledged principles of international law;
• All sides engaged should promote and encourage the return of Internally Displaced Persons to their respective areas of origin;
• The continued militarization of the South Caucasus as a result of regional conflicts remains one of the principal threats; public opinion should be mobilised in order to address this threat and in order to advocate for political decisions in this regard;
• It is extremely important to create an adequate informational space, resources and tools to further develop a public discourse on the above-mentioned issues and directions.