Georgian, South Ossetian and Russian representatives attended the sixth meeting in the framework of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM), co-facilitated by the EU Monitoring Mission and the OSCE, on October 22 in Ergneti.
The discussions focused on a number of incidents related to freedom of movement and access to agricultural lands. Concrete proposals to ensure free access to religious sites to pilgrims on both sides of the administrative boundary line were examined again. Upon EUMM’s request, rumors concerning the potential closure of the Russian check point to Akhalgori were denied by the Russian representatives. As the Head of the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) Hansjörg Haber stated: “This is good news for Akhalgori residents, whose freedom of movement should be ensured. However, the IPRM meeting as a whole can not be considered as an easy one. We need to have a more constructive engagement between the participants”. Detainees and advance information on military exercises were amongst other topics addressed during the meeting.
The next meeting is scheduled to take place in Ergneti on 19 November.