The FINANCIAL — The Head of the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM), Ambassador Marek Szczygieł, was received by the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, on 16 July 2020. President Zourabichvili expressed her appreciation for the valuable role the Mission plays in monitoring developments and facilitating dialogue.
President Zourabichvili highlighted the role of the EUMM as the only international monitoring presence on the ground, which provides a unique opportunity to present objective and factual information.
The head of mission informed the president about his priorities and current operational posture of the Mission. He recalled the importance of a swift resumption of the Ergneti Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) as the appropriate forum for regular dialogue and confidence building.
Marek Szczygieł, appreciated the president’s support for the full implementation of the Mission’s mandate throughout the territory of Georgia.
“We’re all witnessing the frequency with which people are abducted on the occupation line. We know how dire the humanitarian situation is beyond the line. It is absolutely necessary to increase the mandate of EUMM Georgia. Good first meeting with Marek Szczygiel of the EUMM,” wrote on Twitter President of Georgia.
Earlier this month, The Head of the EU Monitoring Mission also met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, David Zalkaliani. Minister Zalkaliani congratulated Ambassador Szczygieł on his new position and thanked him for the ongoing work of the Mission. The Head of Mission informed the minister about his priorities, particularly about his aim to resume regular IPRM Ergneti meetings. He highlighted the role of the Mission in supporting the Geneva International Discussions (GID) and stated that the Mission remains committed to providing objective information to the GID Co-Chairs.
The minister highlighted the effective functional cooperation between the EUMM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and other Georgian institutions. He stressed the importance of the Mission’s continued monitoring, also during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a stabilising factor on the ground.
On July 12, The EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia confirmed the extensive use of the Mission-managed Hotline with regard to the detention and alleged shooting of a Georgian citizen at the Administrative Boundary Line between Tbilisi-Administered Territory (TAT) and South Ossetia.
In this context, Head of Mission Marek Szczygieł, recalled the importance of a swift resumption of the Ergneti Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism as the appropriate forum for regular dialogue and confidence building.
European Parliament salutes the strengthening of EU-Georgia relations
