ERGNETI, 1 November 2023 – The 115th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) took place in Ergneti today under the co-facilitation of the Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), Dimitrios Karabalis, and the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, Viorel Moşanu.
The EUMM and OSCE appreciated the sustained commitment of the participants to the IPRM format. The co-facilitators welcomed that the security situation remained relatively stable since the last meeting in early September. At the same time, IPRM participants discussed ongoing challenges faced by the conflict-affected communities, including recent security incidents and detentions. The EUMM and OSCE advocated for the release of remaining detainees and encouraged participants to discontinue the practice of detentions. They stressed that particular attention should be paid to the health condition of detainees.
The co-facilitators reiterated their strong support for establishing full freedom of movement and proposed concrete steps in this direction. Populations living on both sides of the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) continue to face obstacles that restrict their livelihoods and economic opportunities and hinder their social relations. The co-facilitators underlined how these restrictions particularly affect women, children, the elderly and isolated communities. The EUMM and OSCE marked yesterday’s 23rd anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Resolution, highlighting the opportunity to reflect on distinct experiences of women in the context of conflict and the important role they play in finding solutions to them.
Participants welcomed the constructive discussions on various topics of concern. For example, they particularly praised the co-operation between experts at a technical meeting on irrigation held on 27 October, during which a common approach to sharing water for the upcoming 2024 irrigation season was agreed upon. Participants also underscored the importance of the EUMM-managed Hotline to defuse tensions and facilitate the exchange of information.
The participants agreed to convene the next regular IPRM meeting on 13 December 2023.
