Geneva Int’l Discussions Co-chairs remain ‘fully engaged’ to address challenges amid coronavirus pandemic
The co-chairs decided to postpone the 51st GID round, which was due to take place on 31 March -1 April "after carefully reviewing circumstances related to the rapid spread" of the COVID-19 virus. Photo: Georgian Foreign Ministry
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The co-chairs of Geneva International Discussions (GIDs) from the European Union, United Nations and OSCE, Toivo Klaar, Cihan Sultanoglu and Rudolf Michalka remain “fully engaged to help address the challenges” created by the coronavirus pandemic.
The co-chairs decided to postpone the 51st GID round, which was due to take place on 31 March -1 April "after carefully reviewing circumstances related to the rapid spread" of the COVID-19 virus.
Statement of the Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions on remaining fully engaged to help address the challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic: https://t.co/g4ZqDpdGoz
— OSCE (@OSCE) March 31, 2020
Commending the efforts of health professionals and others who are working hard to stop the spread of COVID-19, they appeal to all GID participants to respond to the call by UN Secretary General António Guterres "to put aside mistrust and animosity, avoid antagonistic rhetoric, and work together to reach out to the most vulnerable”.
In particular, they urge all GID participants “to do their utmost to protect vulnerable conflict-affected populations, especially women, men and children in areas facing particular isolation”.
These populations need assistance and must not be allowed to suffer even more. We are encouraged by some collaborative approaches that have already taken place, but more needs to be done to ensure that all people, regardless of where they happen to live or what language they may speak, have equal access to health care”, they stated.
Noting that “cooperation across dividing lines, under other circumstances, may be challenging”, they further appeal to all participants of the GID “to set aside differences and ensure that all individuals have the best possible access to testing and treatment”.
More than 2,200 individuals have been tested for coronavirus in Georgia since February 26, 2020 and only 110 have been positive.
A 50-year-old woman, who was transferred from the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region into Tbilisi-controlled territory late on March 29, has tested positive for COVID-19.
Tougher restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19 go into force today, including a nationwide curfew that will be in effect from 21:00 – 06:00. Public transport has also been suspended, and the public cannot gather in groups of more than three people. The measures will be in place until at least April 21. Georgia has had 110 confirmed cases of the virus starting from February 26, 2020.
A new hospital has opened in the village of Rukhi located about a kilometre from Enguri Bridge, which connects Russia-occupied Abkhazia with the rest of Georgia. Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said the new hospital will offer qualitative care to people living on both sides of the occupation line.
Georgia has expanded the category of people who will be tested for COVID-19 as there have been cases of internal transmission over the past several days.
About 350 individuals and 15 companies have been fined so far for the violation of state of emergency regulations and curfew since they came into effect on March 21 and 31 respectively to contain the spread of COVID-19, Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri said earlier today.
Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region reported the second case of the coronavirus earlier today.
At an online meeting with the co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) from the European Union, United Nations and the OSCE, Toivo Klaar, Cihan Sultanoglu and Rudolf Michalka, Georgian Deputy Minister Lasha Darsalia spoke of the situation in the Russian-occuied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The number of individuals infected with coronavirus is increasing in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali, State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality of Georgia Ketevan Tsikhelashvili said earlier today. As of now, 188 people have been brought from the occupied regions to Tbilisi-controlled territory amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Participants of the Geneva International Discussions (GIDs) gathered for the first and only time this year to discuss security and humanitarian issues in Georgia's Russia-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) on December 10-11.
Ongoing detentions, unresolved cases of missing persons, restrictions on freedom of movement and travel abroad, response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and specific security concerns in Georgia's Russia-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) have been in focus of the 54th round of the Geneva International Discussions which took place on October 12 and 13.