114th Ergneti IPRM Meeting

On September 12, the 114th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meeting was held in Ergneti.

EUMM Statement

The EUMM and OSCE praised the IPRM participants’ commitment to the format and and voiced support to the freedom of movement for populations living on both sides of the Tskhinvali occupation line, highlighting the negative impact of isolation, limited livelihood opportunities, family relations, and religious practices especially on women, children, and the elderly.

The EUMM and OSCE welcomed the fact that the security situation remained relatively stable in the last two months, including during and around the 2008 war anniversary. During the meeting, 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 noted that some long-term detention cases had been solved recently. The co-facilitators encouraged participants to discontinue the practice of detentions and advocated for releasing remaining detainees.

Participants welcomed constructive discussions on electricity and irrigation access, including expert opinions, and emphasized the EUMM-managed hotline’s role in resolving tensions and facilitating information exchange.

SSSG Statement

According to the State Security Service of Georgia, at the meeting, the sides discussed all the significant incidents observed in the occupied region and along the occupation line since the last meeting.

The representatives of the Georgian government once again raised the issue of the release of all illegally detained persons as a matter of principle, and also strongly condemned the illegal borderization facts identified in the period between the meetings.

The meeting addressed the humanitarian needs of the local population living along the occupation line and discussed possible solutions and issues related to the current practice of moving through checkpoints and how it is increasing.

Statement by Tskhinvali Representative

Igor Kochiev, the head of the Tskhinvali delegation to the IPRM, commented: “We raised the issue of violation of the republic’s airspace at the meeting”.

“Recently, the Georgian side has begun to admit the facts about the flights of unmanned aerial vehicles on the territory of our republic, but it is still trying to shift the responsibility to others, including the South Ossetian side” – Kochiev said.

According to him, drones are being used to film the territory of South Ossetia, including Tskhinvali. This is evidenced by photos and videos posted on Georgian social networks, claimed Kochiev. One case of a manned vehicle was also recorded.

“According to what the Georgians said, we understand that the pilot most likely got lost” Kochiev said adding that “after understanding where he was supposed to fly, the pilot left the airspace of the republic and proceeded to his destination”.

Kochiev said that at the meeting he “raised the concerns of the South Ossetian side, including violations of the state border” adding: “In the past period, 10 violations of the state border were recorded. All citizens were expelled from the republic because they violated the border for the first time or unknowingly”.

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.

Also Read:

• 03/07/2023 – 113th IPRM Meeting Took Place in Ergneti
• 02/03/2023 – 111th IPRM Meeting Takes Place in Ergneti
• 17/01/2023 – 110th IPRM Meeting Held in Ergneti

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