Organisers threw a news blackout around the politically charged meeting in Geneva and prevented photographers from taking photos of the delegations as they entered the United Nations building in Geneva.

'The talks are private and fairly complex. It is a decision of all of the parties,' a UN spokesman told reporters.

Officials said the talks aimed to launch a regular negotiating process to get the foes together to resolve practical issues following their five-day war in August, including the rights of tens of thousands of refugees.

Three international bodies - the European Union (EU), United Nations and Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) - are co-chairing the one-day talks.

Conflict resolution
'We need to try our best efforts among the parties concerned to restore confidence so we can establish a conflict-resolution process,' UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon told a news briefing on Monday night.

Mr Alexander Stubb, Finland's foreign minister who currently chairs the OSCE, Europe's main democracy watchdog, said: 'We knew this is a long process, we are taking it slowly step by step.'

The organisers hope that Wednesday's meeting will be followed by regular contacts every two weeks by Russia, Georgia and its ally, the United States.

But Georgia made clear on Monday that it was seeking 'fundamental steps' from Russia and could challenge Moscow's insistence that representatives from South Ossetia and Abkhazia attend the talks.

It was not immediately clear whether these delegations would take part in technical talks, or what the format of those discussions would be, diplomats said.

Moscow has recognised the two breakaway, pro-Russian regions as independent states under its protection, a move condemned by the international community.

Months of skirmishes between separatists and Georgian troops erupted into war in August when Georgia sent troops and tanks to retake South Ossetia, which threw off Tbilisi's rule in 1991-92.

Russia responded with a powerful counter-strike driving the Georgian army out of South Ossetia.

Moscow's troops then pushed further into Georgia, saying they needed to prevent further Georgian attacks.

Last week Moscow pulled out of buffer zones adjacent to the rebel regions ahead of an Oct 10 deadline in a ceasefire brokered by France as current president of the European Union.

Russia's delegation is headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin, while Georgia's delegation is led by Deputy Foreign Minister Grigol Varshadze.

Daniel Fried, Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, is representing the United States. -- REUTERS