Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism in Georgia

97th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM)

Rome [ENA] In Ergneti (Georgia) took place today the 97th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) co-facilitated by Ambassador Marek Szczygieł, Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and Ambassador Rudolf Michalka, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus. The EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) is an unarmed civilian monitoring mission

which was established by the European Union on 15 September 2008. EUMM contributes to the stabilisation of the situation on the ground following the August 2008 conflict. The Mission started its monitoring activities on 1 October 2008, beginning with control of the withdrawal of Russian armed forces from the areas adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Stabilisation, normalisation and confidence building are an essential part of the Mission’s mandate, as well as reporting to the EU in order to inform European policy-making and thus contribute to the future European Union engagement in the region.

All the necessary precautionary health measures in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic accompanied the meeting of the Ergneti IPRM. Participants emphasized the value of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism format, underlined the importance of direct dialogue, and engaged in constructive discussions on the most pressing issues influencing stability and security . The co-facilitators welcomed the participants’ commitment to engage in regular exchange in the IPRM format and gave emphasis to the important role of the EU Monitoring Mission -managed hotline. The co-facilitators emphasized that timely information exchange through all available platforms for preventing

incidents and reducing tensions along the Administrative Boundary Line remains crucial. The participants debated several issues relating to stabilization and normalization, ‘borderization’ processes along the administrative boundary line (ABL), the security situation in the Chorchana-Tsnelisi area, as well as other locations, and important freedom of movement and livelihood topics. The impact of the prolonged closure of the controlled crossing points along the ABL and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were also discussed on the agenda. Significant attention was devoted to the recent detention cases.

The co-facilitators also stressed the importance of safeguarding human security in local communities and addressing challenges of the conflict-affected population. The participants were called upon to make concerted efforts for maintaining general stability on the ground. The participants agreed to plan for a subsequent meeting on 20 November 2020, as conditions permit.