108th IPRM Meeting Held in Ergneti
The 108th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRMs) meeting took place on September 23 in Ergneti village, near the occupation line of Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia.
Statement by EUMM
Marek Szczygieł and Viorel Moşanu co-facilitating the meeting on behalf of EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), commended Tskhinvali’s decision to open crossing points during the Lomisoba religious feasts in June and in late August. They also assessed as “a positive step” the announcements from Tskhinvali, that two crossing points would continue to be open during the last ten days of each month, until December 2022. They also took note of the participants’ readiness to consider further steps in this regard.
Co-facilitators also commended the recent release of detainees and urged a humanitarian approach towards resolution of existing detention cases.
The talks also focused on the issues that negatively impact the lives and livelihoods of the population living along the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL), including access to education, continued ‘borderization’ activities, as well as access to irrigation and drinking water.
The co-facilitators encouraged all participants to commit to a non-confrontational behavior with regard to any security developments along the ABL and highlighted the need for continuation of the effective use of the Hotline “to defuse tensions and build confidence among the IPRM participants.”
Statement by State Security Service
The State Security Service of Georgia (SSG) said that during the meeting Tbilisi stressed the need of “unconditional and immediate release” of Georgian citizens arbitrarily detained by Russian occupying forces.
Tbilisi also raised the issue of a Georgian police post in the Chorchana-Tsnelisi area, stressing the post will continue its operation “as usual.”
According to the State Security Service, the participants discussed incidents and illegal actions across the dividing line, including “borderization,” which, according to SSG, “significantly harms the security environment, poses a threat to the security of local population and restricts free movement across the dividing line.”
Statement by Tskhinvali representative
On his part, Moscow-backed Tskhinvali representative Igor Kochiev said the S. Ossetian agenda again focused on the presence of the Georgian police post in the Chorchana-Tsnelisi area and “violations of the state border,” reported the Tskhinvali-based RES news agency.
He also said that Georgian citizens continue to violate the “state border” both unknowingly or deliberately. “In case of one-time violation of the state border, they are expelled without penalties, but in case of repeated violation, they are subject to other punishments, including criminal persecution,” Kochiev noted.
The next IPRM meeting has been slated for November 10, 2022.
Also Read:
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
