Authorities in breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia said on October 2 that they are pulling out of talks with Tbilisi.

Quoting a statement issued by the press office of the breakaway Abkhaz President, Russian agencies reported that Sokhumi is withdrawing from talks becauseTbilisi is defying the 1994 Moscow agreement on cease-fire and separation of forces by keeping troops in upper Kodori Gorge in Abkhazia.

In the wake of the statement, South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity announced that Tskhinvali will follow Sokhumi’s decision and will also quit talks with Tbilisi.

“Recently South Ossetia has offered to hold a JCC [negotiating body Joint Control Commission] session in Tskhinvali and also we have offered to give up military rhetoric and to hold talks, but unfortunately the Georgian side left our proposals without a response,” Interfax news agency quoted Kokoity as saying.