EU Special Representative Klaar says ‘important discussions’ held on Georgian conflicts issues
De facto authorities of Tskhinvali closed crossing points with the rest of Georgia more than six months ago. Photo: EUMM Georgia.
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EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar says that important discussions have been held with the involvement of the UN and OSCE regarding the current security situation at the occupation lines in Georgia.
Klaar tweeted late yesterday:
Two days of meetings in Tbilisi and Tskhinvali together with my #OSCE and #UN co-chairs are at an end. Important discussions regarding security on South Ossetian ABL and the continued closure of crossing points. Now off to #Azerbaijan.
— Toivo Klaar (@ToivoKlaar) February 12, 2020
Crossing points between Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region and the rest of Georgia have been closed for more than six month, since September 4, 2019.
Locals say that the humanitarian situation on the ground is severe as they have no access to quality medical aid and the everyday items they used to buy in other regions of the country.
The reason for the closure of the crossing points was the opening of a police post on the Tbilisi-administered territory, in the village of Chorchana, by the central Georgian government at the end of the summer of 2019.
The de facto leadership says that the police post ‘is too close to our country and poses security threats to our population.’
They say that the crossing points will reopen after the police post is dismantled which Tbilisi refuses to do.
The Russian-controlled de facto leadership of Tskhinvali has closed the Razdakhani crossing point for Akhalgori population, which was opened for pensioners only on January 24, 2020, after almost a five-month illegal closure.Local civic activists say that a small portion of those who were allowed to leave the Russian-occupied district decided to stay on the Tbilisi-administered territory either for treatment or to spend the winter with relatives.
Georgian civic activist Tamar Mearakishvili, who lives in Georgia’s Russian-controlled Akhalgori district, has released the photos of Akhalgori, with no people walking on the streets and lights rarely coming from windows.Mearakishvili, who is politically persecuted by de facto authorities of Tskhinvali, says that many people have left the district since the Russia-Georgia 2008 war, when Russia expanded its control on Akhalgori.
The European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) has welcomed the decision of the de facto authorities of the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Tskhinvali to temporarily reopen a crossing point between its Akhalgori district and the rest of Georgia for pensioners only after an almost five-month closure.
Civic activist Tamar Mearakishvili, who lives in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Akhalgori district, says that up to 10 people in the area have died due to delayed medical aid or other reasons related to the illegal closure of crossing points between breakaway Tskhinvali and the rest of Georgia 131 days ago.
The State Security Service of Georgia reported today that the occupying forces carried out illegal activities near the village of Orchosani in occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, which "are provocative and harm the security environment on the ground”.
Russian-controlled occupation forces have allegedly shot a Georgian citizen yesterday who was trying to cross the occupation line between Georgia and its western occupied Abkhazia region.
EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar has discussed the situation in the country and the region with the Georgian president, prime minister and parliament members during his visit to Tbilisi.
EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar has arrived in Tbilisi. During his Georgian trip Klaar will also travel to the Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met Toivo Klaar, the Co-chair of the Geneva International Discussions and the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, in Tbilisi on Thursday to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Russian occupation of two regions of Georgia, and the security environment and challenges in the South Caucasus region.