Day: December 14, 2023
Inal Ardzinba, the de facto foreign minister of the Russia-occupied Abkhazia region, met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on December 13th. The sides discussed strengthening ties despite facing “difficult circumstances and blockade.” Ardzinba’s visit to Syria comes amid reports that Sokhumi plans to open a “consulate” in Damascus.
According to media reports, Assad pledged support for expanding Abkhazia’s “recognition” in the Arab world. Currently, only a handful of countries, including Syria, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Nauru, have followed Russia’s lead in recognizing Abkhazia.
Assad and Ardzinba found full understanding in supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, condemned the U.S. for trying to “instigate conflicts” in the Middle East and the Caucasus, and criticized the “actions of the collective West” in Gaza.
Ardzinba condemned “Israeli strikes on Syrian infrastructure” and emphasized the importance of “de-occupying the Golan Heights,” supporting Syria’s long-standing territorial dispute with Israel. Assad, in turn, accepted Ardzinba’s invitation to visit Abkhazia in the coming year.
Before Assad, Ardzinba met with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad to discuss cooperation. He has also met with the diaspora in Syria.
Also Read:
- 13/12/2023 – Inal Ardzinba in Syria, Condemns “Diktat of the West”
- 26/08/2022 – Syrian Foreign Minister Meets Bzhania
- 25/08/2022 – Syrian Foreign Minister Visiting Abkhazia
- 17/05/2021 – Abkhaz Leader Meets Syria’s Assad in Damascus
On December 13, the 116th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meeting was held in Ergneti. The meeting was co-facilitation by 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.
EUMM Statement
The killing of Tamaz Ginturi near Kirbali village was extensively discussed at the meeting, with co-facilitators condemning the fatal use of force resulting in the loss of a Georgian citizen’s life. They stressed that prioritizing safety for conflict-affected communities is crucial for all involved in the IPRM. Participants highlighted the need to prevent such tragedies and to uphold security along the occupation line.
During the meeting, the EUMM-managed Hotline and co-facilitators’ involvement were praised for swiftly sharing incident-related information. The OSCE and EUMM pushed to ease movement restrictions for the holiday season, emphasizing the need to reopen crossing points along the occupation line.
At the IPRM, challenges confronting those affected by conflict, including ‘borderisation’ activities and detentions, were discussed, with calls from the EUMM and OSCE for a humanitarian approach to resolving detention cases before the holidays.
SSSG Statement
According to the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), they strongly demanded the punishment of the representatives of the representatives of the Russian occupation forces who killed Tamaz Ginturi near the village of Kirbali. They also demanded the immediate release of all illegally detained Georgian citizens.
SSSG said the meeting addressed the humanitarian needs of the local population living along the occupation line. It also discussed possible solutions and issues related to the current practice of passing through checkpoints and how it is increasing.
Statement by Tskhinvali Representative
Igor Kochiev, who headed the Tskhinvali delegation to the IPRM, said he had drawn attention to the “illegal” Georgian police post on the territory of the village of Tsnelisi/Uista. He also stated that important issues related to security and humanitarian issues were discussed. He called on Tbilisi to “take preventive measures to exclude violation of the border” by citizens and complained about the incursions of unmanned aerial vehicles.
The participants agreed to convene the next regular IPRM meeting on 13 February 2024.
Also Read:
- 06/11/2023 – Technical Meeting in Ergneti Following the Killing of Georgian Citizen by Russian Occupying Forces
- 13/09/2023 – 114th Ergneti IPRM Meeting
- 03/07/2023 – 113th IPRM Meeting Took Place in Ergneti
- 02/03/2023 – 111th IPRM Meeting Takes Place in Ergneti
Inal Ardzinba, the de facto foreign minister of the Russia-occupied Abkhazia region, met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on December 13th. The sides discussed strengthening ties despite facing “difficult circumstances and blockade.” Ardzinba’s visit to Syria comes amid reports that Sokhumi plans to open a “consulate” in Damascus.
According to media reports, Assad pledged support for expanding Abkhazia’s “recognition” in the Arab world. Currently, only a handful of countries, including Syria, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Nauru, have followed Russia’s lead in recognizing Abkhazia.
Assad and Ardzinba found full understanding in supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, condemned the U.S. for trying to “instigate conflicts” in the Middle East and the Caucasus, and criticized the “actions of the collective West” in Gaza.
Ardzinba condemned “Israeli strikes on Syrian infrastructure” and emphasized the importance of “de-occupying the Golan Heights,” supporting Syria’s long-standing territorial dispute with Israel. Assad, in turn, accepted Ardzinba’s invitation to visit Abkhazia in the coming year.
Before Assad, Ardzinba met with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad to discuss cooperation. He has also met with the diaspora in Syria.
Also Read:
- 13/12/2023 – Inal Ardzinba in Syria, Condemns “Diktat of the West”
- 26/08/2022 – Syrian Foreign Minister Meets Bzhania
- 25/08/2022 – Syrian Foreign Minister Visiting Abkhazia
- 17/05/2021 – Abkhaz Leader Meets Syria’s Assad in Damascus
Categories
116th Ergneti IPRM Meeting
On December 13, the 116th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meeting was held in Ergneti. The meeting was co-facilitation by 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.
EUMM Statement
The killing of Tamaz Ginturi near Kirbali village was extensively discussed at the meeting, with co-facilitators condemning the fatal use of force resulting in the loss of a Georgian citizen’s life. They stressed that prioritizing safety for conflict-affected communities is crucial for all involved in the IPRM. Participants highlighted the need to prevent such tragedies and to uphold security along the occupation line.
During the meeting, the EUMM-managed Hotline and co-facilitators’ involvement were praised for swiftly sharing incident-related information. The OSCE and EUMM pushed to ease movement restrictions for the holiday season, emphasizing the need to reopen crossing points along the occupation line.
At the IPRM, challenges confronting those affected by conflict, including ‘borderisation’ activities and detentions, were discussed, with calls from the EUMM and OSCE for a humanitarian approach to resolving detention cases before the holidays.
SSSG Statement
According to the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), they strongly demanded the punishment of the representatives of the representatives of the Russian occupation forces who killed Tamaz Ginturi near the village of Kirbali. They also demanded the immediate release of all illegally detained Georgian citizens.
SSSG said the meeting addressed the humanitarian needs of the local population living along the occupation line. It also discussed possible solutions and issues related to the current practice of passing through checkpoints and how it is increasing.
Statement by Tskhinvali Representative
Igor Kochiev, who headed the Tskhinvali delegation to the IPRM, said he had drawn attention to the “illegal” Georgian police post on the territory of the village of Tsnelisi/Uista. He also stated that important issues related to security and humanitarian issues were discussed. He called on Tbilisi to “take preventive measures to exclude violation of the border” by citizens and complained about the incursions of unmanned aerial vehicles.
The participants agreed to convene the next regular IPRM meeting on 13 February 2024.
Also Read:
- 06/11/2023 – Technical Meeting in Ergneti Following the Killing of Georgian Citizen by Russian Occupying Forces
- 13/09/2023 – 114th Ergneti IPRM Meeting
- 03/07/2023 – 113th IPRM Meeting Took Place in Ergneti
- 02/03/2023 – 111th IPRM Meeting Takes Place in Ergneti
