114th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism meeting takes place in Ergneti

ERGNETI, 12 September 2023 – The 114th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was held in Ergneti today under the co-facilitation of the Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), Dimitrios Karabalis, and the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, Viorel Moşanu.

The EUMM and OSCE commended the sustained commitment of the participants to the IPRM format. The co-facilitators voiced their strong support for freedom of movement as populations living on both sides of the South Ossetian administrative boundary line (ABL) continue to face obstacles that isolate them from each other, restrict their livelihood opportunities, hinder their family relations, as well as affect their religious practice. The co-facilitators underlined how these obstacles particularly affect women, children, and the elderly.

The EUMM and OSCE welcomed that the security situation remained relatively stable in the last two months, including during and around the 2008 war anniversary. During the IPRM, the role of co-facilitators in contributing to maintaining stability was highlighted. IPRM participants also discussed challenges faced by the conflict-affected communities, including recent security incidents and detentions. The EUMM and OSCE positively noted that some cases of long-term detentions had been solved recently. The co-facilitators encouraged participants to discontinue the practice of detentions and advocated for the release of remaining detainees.

Participants welcomed today’s constructive discussions on various topics of concern, such as access to electricity and irrigation, including the views of technical experts. Participants also stressed the importance of the EUMM-managed Hotline to defuse tensions and facilitate the exchange of information.

The participants agreed to convene the next regular IPRM meeting on 1 November 2023, as well as to hold a separate technical meeting to continue engagement on irrigation and access to water.