The 81st Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism meeting takes place in Ergneti

On 3 October 2017, the 81st Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meeting was held in Ergneti. Ambassador Guenther Baechler, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, and Erik Hoeeg, Acting Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), co-facilitated the meeting.

Ambassador Baechler opened the proceedings and Erik Hoeeg provided a summary of events since the last meeting. These included detention cases, military activities, and a number of Hotline activations.

The imprisonment of Mr. Giunashvili, and the impact of ‘borderization’ on local residents in the vicinity of the Administrative Boundary Line  (ABL), were debated.

Discussions to facilitate access to agricultural land on both sides of the ABL took place. General principles, which could be used as an instrument for future work, were considered.

Participants addressed the risk of fire adjacent to the ABL.

The situation regarding missing persons was considered. Participants were encouraged to reflect on all missing person cases from a humanitarian point of view.

The case of Mr. Basharuli was again discussed in great detail. Participants were encouraged to cooperate and provide full access and disclosure of all available information.

Participants considered forthcoming events. The co-facilitators urged participants to actively use the Hotline and expand the scope for the exchange of information on security activities close to the ABL. This would assist in increased transparency in the security domain and reduce risks to stability along the ABL.

A discussion ensued about the dismantling of abandoned houses in Eredvi village in South Ossetia.

The next IPRM meeting will take place on 16 November 2017.