MOSCOW, July 1 (RIA Novosti) - The latest round of Geneva discussions on the situation in the Caucasus was productive, and the next round will take place on September 17, a Russian deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday.

"We are closing the discussions on a positive and constructive note, and we have agreed to hold the next meeting on September 17," Grigory Karasin said.

He said the discussions centered on changes in the format of Geneva consultations following the withdrawal of the UN and OSCE missions from the region, hit by a five-day war between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia last August.

"There is a pressing need to find ways of ensuring security and stability in the region," he said.

The Geneva talks are backed by the UN, the EU and the OSCE and involve Georgia, Russia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Russia recognized the former Georgian provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states on August 26 last year, two weeks after the end of the conflict with Georgia. The war began when Georgian forces attacked South Ossetia to try to regain control of the region.

Friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance treaties with Abkhazia and South Ossetia were signed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last November.

Under the pacts, Russia has pledged to help the republics protect their borders, and the signatories have granted each other the right to set up military bases in their respective territories.