Ahead of meeting with Georgian authorities OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid travelled the village of Tsitsagiaantkari near the Russian-controlled Tskhinvali region. Photo: PM's press office
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid, who met in Tbilisi earlier today, discussed the role of the OSCE in the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Georgia and the restoration of trust among the peoples divided by the war.
Following the meeting PM Garibashvili said he is grateful to the OSCE for its valuable support and engagement in the international arena.
Great meeting w/@HelgaSchmid_SG. We focused on ????????-@OSCE active co-op, conflict-related issues & discussed ????????'s peaceful conflict resolution policy. Grateful to the @OSCE for the valuable support & engagement in the international arena.
— Irakli Garibashvili (@GharibashviliGe) June 15, 2021
Helga Maria Schmid has also noted that the meeting with PM Garibashvili was 'excellent'.
Excellent meeting with Prime Minister @GharibashviliGe. #Georgia is a valued member of the @OSCE and we had a good discussion on the domestic priorities for Georgia and other recent developments, including in the region pic.twitter.com/WtCytdg5K5
— Helga Maria Schmid (@HelgaSchmid_SG) June 15, 2021
In Tbilisi, the OSCE Secretary General also met with Georgian Foriegn Minister David Zalkaliani.
Schmid tweeted:
Good discussions with @MFAgovge, Minister @Zalkaliani. We spoke about #OSCE co-operation, our contributions as a co-chair of the Geneva International Discussions and our related activities, as well as regional aspects. pic.twitter.com/L3gPnnvAtS
— Helga Maria Schmid (@HelgaSchmid_SG) June 15, 2021
FM Zalkaliani has also tweeted:
Delighted to welcome @OSCE SG @HelgaSchmid_SG on her first visit to????????. Discussed????????'s important role in regional security, difficult situation & humanitarian crisis in ????????-occupied regions of #Abkhazia & #Tskhinvali. Grateful to #OSCE for support for???????? sovereignty & terr. integrity pic.twitter.com/hupc4zGhtq
— David Zalkaliani (@DZalkaliani) June 15, 2021
Schmid, who attended the 100's Incident Prevention and Responce Mechanism (IPRM) meeting in the village of Ergneti close to occupied Tskhinvali, said throghout the years this mechanism has become 'an indispensible tool' for the security and stability on the ground 'by trying to ease the burdain of the conflict affected populations'.
She also welcomed 'the very clear commitment of Tbilisi' to work with the co-chairs in making the Geneva International Discussions (GIDs) 'even more result oriented' on all items of the agenda.
David Zalkaliani has shared a video of his press conference with Helga Maria Schmid on Facebook:
Today the OSCE Secretary General held other meetings with the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality Tea Akhvlediani and Parliament Speaker Kakha Kuchava as well.