International talks on the stability and security in the Caucasus following the Russia-Georgia war in August resumed in Geneva on Wednesday.

Russia, Georgia, the United States, and Georgia's breakaway regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia, all the parties concerned, have senior officials attend the closed-door meeting, which is being held in the UN European headquarters.

The talks, co-chaired by the UN, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, are designed to tackle security and refugee issues in the wake of the August war, in which Russian troops defeated Georgian forces trying to regain control of South Ossetia.

But major disputes over the status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which Russia recognized as independence after the five-day war, make the talks rather difficult.

The first round of negotiations began on Oct. 15, but fell apart due to disputes over the participation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Russia insisted that the governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia must be fully represented at the discussions, but Georgia could not accept the idea that the two regions participate as national delegations.

Wednesday's talks will be more informal so that the sensitivity over the status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia could be lightened, diplomatic sources said.

But Georgia, which is represented by a deputy foreign minister, also sent its nominal heads of government for South Ossetia and Abkhazia to the meeting to emphasize its territorial claim, Russian media reported.

The meeting will go in two working groups, one dealing with regional security issues, and the other tackling refugee issues, sources said.

(Xinhua News Agency November 19, 2008)