EUMM Head, Georgia’s Reconciliation Minister discuss situation in occupied regions
Tea Akhvlediani and Marek Szczygiel held a meeting yesterday. Photo: State Ministry for Reintegration and Civic Equality press office
Tweet 
Share
Georgia's new Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality Tea Akhvlediani and the Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) Marek Szczygiel spoke of human rights violations in the two Russia-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) yesterday.
Good and productive meeting with the newly appointed State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, Tea Akhvlediani. Looking forward to continuing excellent cooperation between @EUMMGeorgia and @SMRCEGeorgia. More info: https://t.co/dCVNdgH7qy pic.twitter.com/nI8dMC6UHe
— EUMM Head of Mission (@EUMMGeorgia_HoM) August 21, 2020
During the meeting Szczygiel and Akhvlediani discussed the situation of the conflict-affected population, including the ‘prolonged closure’ of the crossings-points, recent detention cases of Georgian citizens as well as the ‘borderisation’ along the occupation line.
They denounced the erection of barbed wire fences and other artificial barriers restricting the freedom of movement across the occupation line.
The State Ministry has reported that the closure of the crossing-points connecting occupied Akhalgori with the rest of Georgia negatively affects the humanitarian situation on the ground; moreover, 14 people have passed away due to delayed medical care during the coronavirus pandemic.
Marek Szczygiel congratulated Minister Akhvlediani on her appointment and expressed appreciation for the positive work relations between her office and the EUMM. Photo: EUMM
Meanwhile, Szczygiel and Akhvlediani welcomed the recent relaunch of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) in the village of Ergneti close to occupied Tskhinvali region and expressed hope for the resumption of the Gali IPRM as well.
Both underlined the importance of the EUMM-managed hotline, which is frequently activated 'to facilitate medical crossings' across the occupation line and serves as ‘a crucial tool’ for confidence building among the local residents.
Minister Akhvlediani also stressed the necessity for continued support from the international partners to ensure ‘immediate release’ of the Georgian citizens illegally detained by the occupying forces.
Marek Szczygiel the new head of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) to Georgia said he is “looking forward to working with the great and dedicated team” of the mission. Szczygiel, a long serving Polish diplomat, was officially appointed as the EUMM head earlier today.
Khvicha Mghebrishvili, 45, a local of central Georgia's Mejvriskhevi village, who was arrested by occupation forces near the administrative line bordering occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) on July 3 has been sentenced to three months of pre-trial detention by a so-called court of the occupied Tskhinvali region.
Tea Akhvlediani, former deputy health minister, has been appointed Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, replacing Ketevan Tsikhelashvili in the position.
The 96th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meeting will be held in Ergneti on July 30 in order to resume the dialogue to reduce tensions and prevent incidents along the South Ossetian/Tskhinvali Administrative Boundary Line.
Georgian officials have expressed their concern that Georgian citizen Khvicha Mghebrishvili has been recently sentenced to three months of pretrial detention by a so-called court in the Russia-occupied Tskhinvali region.
The security, humanitarian and human rights situation in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) on the backdrop of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine were in focus of a meeting between Tea Akhvlediani, Georgia’s State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, Lasha Darsalia, the Deputy Foreign Minister, and Ruslan Abashidze, the Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia on Thursday.
Illegal detentions of Georgian citizens in Russian-occupied regions of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia, and mechanisms for a further implementation of human-centred policies were in focus of an address by Tea Akhvlediani, the Georgian Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, to the Parliament on Friday.