121th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism meeting takes place in Ergneti

ERGNETI, 12 September 2024 - The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, Viorel Moşanu, and the Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), Bettina Patricia Boughani, co-facilitated the 121st Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) today in Ergneti.

The EUMM and OSCE co-facilitators commended the sustained commitment of the participants to the IPRM format.

IPRM participants actively discussed challenges faced by the conflict-affected populations, in particular 'borderisation' activities, restrictions to their freedom of movement, as well as incidents and the overall security situation on the ground.

The EUMM and OSCE voiced their concern about the continued practice of detentions and advocated for the release of all detainees. In addition, participants discussed issues related to freedom of movement. The co-facilitators express their opinion that the full re-opening of crossing points would benefit women, men, children, and elderly people on both sides of the administrative boundary line.

The participants acknowledged the effective cooperation on irrigation, highlighting the crucial role of the EUMM Hotline in enabling swift and accurate information exchange on water levels and resolving related issues. They also expressed their gratitude to the EUMM for conducting patrols to monitor water levels throughout the irrigation season. The co-facilitators emphasized the importance of further advancing related work, including through technical meetings.

The participants agreed to convene the next regular IPRM meeting on 12 November 2024. Additionally, a separate technical meeting on irrigation and access to water will be convened in November to review lessons from the past irrigation season and plan for future work.