Tbilisi demands resumption of incident prevention meetings with Russian-occupied Tskinvali
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Tbilisi has demanded the resumption of Ergneti Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meetings amid the shooting and illegal detention of Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze by the de facto authorities of the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region on July 11.
The Georgian State Security Service says that the demand was made via the EUMM Georgia hotline.
We have received no response so far,” the agency said, adding that the resumption of the meetings are ‘critically important’ for discussing Gakheladze’s case and other, local, conflict-related issues.
The Ergneti IPRM meetings, with the involvement of de facto authorities, central government of Georgia and the European Union Monitoring Mission, were suspended last year.
On August 29, 2019 Tskhinvali demanded the Georgian checkpoint in Chorchana (on the Tbilisi-controlled territory) be dismantled and left the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism meeting in protest, citing ‘security threats’ created by the new checkpoint as the reason.
Tbilisi refused to dismantle the checkpoint.
The US and UNDP representation to Georgia say that they are ‘concerned and alarmed’ by the shooting and illegal detention of Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze, 33, by the Russian-controlled occupation forces on July 11.
A European Union Monitoring Mission release on Sunday confirmed "extensive use" of the mission's hotline regarding the detention and alleged shooting of a Georgian citizen by de-facto authorities of the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region on Saturday.
A Georgian man arrested by occupation forces near the administrative line bordering the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region earlier this month has been placed under quarantine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia has "categorically condemned" the shooting and arrest of a Georgian citizen near the administrative line dividing the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region from the Georgian-controlled territory on Saturday, demanding the injured person be returned by the de-facto authorities.
The US Department of States has strongly condemned the shooting and illegal detention of Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze, 33, by the Russian-controlled occupation forces on July 11.
Russia says it is concerned by the ‘more frequent and provocative statements and actions of Georgia’ towards currently occupied Tskhinvali and Abkhazia regions of Georgia, and accuses the US Department of State and the US Embassy in Georgia of ‘provocative activities.’
The 99th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) held in Ergneti, close to the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region earlier today, focused on issues ‘pertaining to stabilisation and normalisation’, the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) has announced.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with Co-chair of Geneva International Discussions (GID) and EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, Toivo Klaar, in Tbilisi earlier today to discuss occupation and regional security issues.