EUMM will stay in Georgia “as long as necessary” - Mission Head at anniversary event
“Our [EUMM] presence over the past 15 years stands as a testament to the EUs long-term commitment to fostering peace and security”, Karabalis stressed. Photo via EUMM in Georgia
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The European Union Monitoring Mission Head Dimitrios Karabalis on Sunday said the EUMM remained dedicated to the mission of improving the lives and security of local communities in Georgia and pledged to stay in the country “as long as necessary”.
At a press conference marking the 15th anniversary of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia, Karabalis noted that for a decade and a half the Mission “has played a pivotal role” in ensuring stability and reducing tensions in Georgia and the wider region.
Today, @EUMMGeorgia_HoM Dimitrios Karabalis hosted a press conference on 1⃣ 5⃣ years of EUMM in Georgia. He explained how we contributed to stability & security in Georgia, and how we help to improve the life of conflict-affected people.
— EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (@EUMMGeorgia) October 1, 2023
????Press release: https://t.co/4AaosZ7vH0 pic.twitter.com/NWfr1d4Zbi
Our [EUMM] presence over the past 15 years stands as a testament to the EUs long-term commitment to fostering peace and security”, he stressed.
While presenting EUMM’s achievements and remaining challenges, Karabalis told media that since 2008, following the August war in Georgia, more than 86,000 patrols “helped make Georgia more stable and safer for the local population”.
Photo via EUMM in Georgia
The situation remains fragile [along the Administrative Boundary Lines] and we should not take this relative stability for granted, as there is always some potential for adverse development. Things can change quickly as we have recently seen in neighbouring countries”, the EUMM Head noted.
He highlighted the confidence-building mechanisms of EUMM, which “have resulted in numerous practical achievements”, including the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism in Ergneti, and EUMM-managed Hotline, which has been activated “more than 20,000 times” since 2008.
Karabalis stressed that “many challenges”, including the restrictions of freedom of movement “unfortunately persisted”, with the ongoing borderisation process hindering the lives of the people living on both sides of ABLs.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday said his Government had ensured “continuous peace” while in office since 2012 that promoted the country’s economic advancement, in his address to an event dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday said the European Union Monitoring Mission - which observes developments adjacent to the Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) - was a “symbol of the close cooperation” and “strong support” from “our European friends”.
Dimitrios Karabalis, the head of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia, on Tuesday responded to the 15th anniversary of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war by saying “consequences of armed conflicts are long-lasting, and the road to reconciliation and recovery can be challenging”.
Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and Dimitrios Karabalis, the newly appointed Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission in the country, on Wednesday reviewed security matters in Georgia’s occupied territories and prospects for deepening cooperation.
The cooperation between the Georgian Defence Ministry and the European Union Monitoring Mission was discussed by Deputy Defence Minister Lela Chikovani and Dimitrios Karabalis, the EUMM Head in Georgia, the Ministry said on Sunday.