'Crucial for security': EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia marks 13 years today
The EUMM’s mandate originally was authorised for a year but since then it has been extended eight times. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia is marking 13 years since its establishment.
EUMM was established after the Russia-Georgia 2008 war to monitor the EU-brokered ceasefire 6-Point agreement between the countries, but the mission has no access to the occupied territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
US Advisor to the Georgian Defence Ministry and colonel of US Army Bob Hamilton has tweeted:
Let's be clear, @EUMMGeorgia is monitoring one side of this agreement, not both, since #Russia refuses to let it monitor the Russian-occupied parts of Georgia. https://t.co/8zrN1cJpep
— Bob Hamilton (@bobham88) September 15, 2021
It is the only foreign mission that monitors the occupation lines at the two Russian-occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
Thirteen years ago today, on 15 Sept. 2008, @EUCouncil decided to establish @EUMMGeorgia to monitor the implementation of the EU-brokered 6-Point Agreement between ???????? and ????????. EUMM was deployed 2 weeks later and has been monitoring non-stop ever since.????️????https://t.co/cs5MKJ2PJx
— EUMM Georgia (@EUMMGeorgia) September 15, 2021
- In order to find out more about EUMM in Georgia and the Russian occupation, take a look at this multimedia story of Agenda.ge: EU's eyes and ears on Russia's creeping occupation of Georgia
Ambassador of Sweden to Georgia Ulrik Tidestrom has tweeted that he is proud to be a leading participant of the EUMM in Georgia.
Sweden is proud to be a leading participant in @EUMMGeorgia ever since the establishment of the Mission.@SwedeninGE https://t.co/OmLxhQg6cC
— Ulrik Tideström ???????? (@UTidestrom) September 15, 2021
EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Harzell has tweeted:
EUMM has played crucial role in upholding/building trust and security around Abkhaz and South Ossetian ABL over the past 13 years!
— Carl Hartzell (@CarlHartzellEU) September 15, 2021
Deep respect for all the hard work, and gratitude to the men and women from all EU Member States who have contributed to this success over the years. https://t.co/assNRzQ2Xw
The head of the Eastern Partnership Division of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Richard Tibbels has tweeted:
????????EUMM’s presence on the ground in ???????? remains as crucial today as ever. ???????????? https://t.co/dGu89WVinz
— Richard Tibbels (@rjtibbels) September 15, 2021
French Ambassador to Georgia Diego Colas has also tweeted:
Happy birthday ! And thank you so very much for your daily contribution to peace and stability. https://t.co/2y8IXjXC7n
— Diégo Colas (@ColasDiego) September 15, 2021
EUMM was deployed two weeks after the establishment on October 1, 2008, and since then has been patrolling to ensure that there is no return to hostilities, to help restore a safe life for the local population living near occupation lines in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions and to build confidence among the conflicting parties.
13Y ago @EUMMGeorgia was established to monitor the implementation of the ????????-brokered Ceasefire Agrmt btw ???????? and ????????
— Shalva Tsiskarashvili (@tsiskarashvili) September 15, 2021
EU's role in maintaining security is essential. #Russia, the occupying power has so far denied the Mission's access to the RUS-occupied two regions of #Georgia pic.twitter.com/8V4aD1Yt0Y
The EUMM’s mandate originally was authorised for a year but since then it has been extended eight times.
The occupation forces have resumed illegal ‘borderisation’ activities along the Kareli municipality close to the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Tskhinvali.The State Security Service says that the illegal ‘borderisation’ in the villages of Takhtisdziri and Gvirgvina has been underway since 2013.
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.
The State Security Service of Georgia reported today that the occupying forces carried out illegal activities near the village of Orchosani in occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, which "are provocative and harm the security environment on the ground”.
EUMM Georgia, which is the only monitoring mission patrolling at occupation lines in Georgia, has a new head. Marek Szczygiel, a long serving Polish diplomat, has today been appointed the new head of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia, EUMM Georgia has reported.
The release of Georgian citizen Gela Gochoshvili who was detained by the Russian occupation forces several months ago, and the illegal ‘borderisation’ process remained at the top of agenda of the 103th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) which was held in Ergneti earlier today.
In the “long process” of European integration, Georgia has to have “strong national unity,” and to “uphold” European values of democracy, human rights, equality and the rule of law, Swedish Ambassador Ulrik Tidestrom said on Friday.
European Union ambassadors on Wednesday agreed a mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament on a decision on non-acceptance of Russian travel documents issued in the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine and Georgia.