EUMM Mission Head welcomes temporary opening of Tskhinvali region crossing
“Freedom of movement restrictions have a negative impact on the daily life of the conflict-affected population,” the EUMM statement on the matter said. Photo: EUMM Georgia
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Marek Szczygieł, the Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia, on Thursday welcomed the temporary opening of the Odzisi crossing point into central Georgia's Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region by the de facto authorities for the Orthodox Easter celebrations.
Szczygieł said the issue of opening crossing points had been “intensively” discussed and advocated by the Co-facilitators in the Ergneti Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism format, a platform for facilitating talks between Georgian agencies and de facto authorities of the occupied regions.
Freedom of movement restrictions have a negative impact on the daily life of the conflict-affected population,” the EUMM statement on the matter said.
The de facto authorities of the Russian-occupied Akhalgori municipality in central Georgia opened the crossings over the administrative boundary line in anticipation of the Orthodox Easter celebrations this weekend.
The crossing had been closed since September 2019.
The de facto authorities of the Russian-occupied Akhalgori municipality in central Georgia have opened crossings to the location over the administrative boundary line separating Georgian-controlled territory from the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, Interpressnews reported on Thursday.
The 25th Consolidated Report of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on the Conflict in Georgia was discussed on Wednesday at the meeting of the deputy ministers of the Council of Europe, the Georgian foreign office said.
The Russian-controlled Tskhinvali leadership has allowed pensioners living in the occupied Akhalgori district to visit the rest of Georgia once in two months, to receive their pensions, REC news agency reports.Humanitarian situation in Akhalgori is severe as the de facto authorities of Georgia's occupied region closed crossing points with the rest of Georgia in early September 2019, depriving locals from receiving timely and quality medical treatment or buy everyday items they need.
40-year old Gela Gariev has died in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, as local doctors could not diagnose his medical problem and offer him appropriate care, reports RFE/RL.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Friday welcomed the “continuous and marked progress” made by Georgia in honouring its Council of Europe membership obligations and commitments since 2014, but added a number of shortcomings and concerns remained.