November 19, 2025 - The South Caucasus News - SouthCaucasusNews.com

The 128th meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was held on November 18 in the village of Ergneti, near the occupation line with Georgia’s Russia-occupied Tskhinvali region.

The meeting was co-facilitated by Bettina Patricia Boughani, Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), and Christoph Späti, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus.

SSSG’s Statement

The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) stated that “all important incidents” along the occupation line that occurred since the previous IPRM meeting were discussed.

The technical meeting also took place, addressing the irrigation-related issues in villages in the vicinity of the occupation line.

As in previous meetings, “the representatives of the State Security Service once again emphasized the need to punish the Russian occupation forces’ representative(s)” responsible for the murder of Georgian citizen Tamaz Ginturi and “strongly demanded that appropriate measures be taken.”

The SSSG said its representatives also “placed main emphasis” on the issue of persons held in illegal detention, demanding their immediate release, and “strongly condemned the illegal, so-called ‘borderization’ activities carried out along the occupation line.”

“The meeting also discussed the humanitarian challenges faced by residents living along the occupation line and possible ways to address them,” the SSSG stated, adding, “Particular attention was given to the issue of freedom of movement.”

EUMM, OSCE Statements

In a joint statement, the co-facilitators said they welcomed the “continued commitment of all participants to the IRPM format,” adding that participants “underlined its crucial role in addressing security-related developments and finding practical solutions for women, men and children on both sides of the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL).”

The press release said “participants exchanged views on recent security developments and the challenges faced by conflict-affected population, including limitations on freedom of movement.” According to the statement, EUMM and the OSCE “reiterated their concern over the practice of detentions,” urging “swift releases” and better use of the hotline for timely information-sharing. The co-facilitators also said easing movement across the occupation line “would help strengthen trust and security among local communities and support a return to a normal life.” The co-facilitators noted that extending the December opening of crossing points into early January would enable divided families to reunite during the holidays.

The press release said participants also “praised the EUMM-managed hotline as an effective tool for sharing reliable, timely information on security and humanitarian issues.” Regarding the technical meeting on irrigation, participants reflected on “constructive cooperation” and acknowledged the support of OSCE experts and the EUMM’s water-level monitoring in resolving issues such as maintenance of the Tiriponi canal.

De Facto Authorities’ Statement

Igor Kochiev, the de facto representative of the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region, briefed reporters after the meeting, saying the period since the previous IPRM session had been “relatively calm.” He said three “border violations” were recorded during that time, including one involving EUMM representatives, who, he presumed, “crossed the border out of ignorance.”

Kochiev said the Tbilisi-installed police post near the village of Tsnelisi, known as the Chorchana checkpoint, became a key point of discussion. The local news agency reported that “the South Ossetian side emphasized that if the Georgian leadership acknowledges the error in establishing the post, the logical step would be to remove it from the territory of the Republic of South Ossetia.”

Kochiev also noted the Georgian authorities’ criminal prosecution of Giorgi Gakharia, which includes charges related to the installation of the Chorchana police checkpoint.

SSSG representative Irakli Antadze, speaking to journalists after the meeting, said, “A standard police post poses no threat, and any risks in this regard have been neutralized. What was dangerous was its criminal placement at the time. As for the statements by representatives of the occupation regime demanding the immediate removal of the post, there is already a clearly stated position of the central government on this matter, which was once again communicated to them.”

The last IPRM meeting of the year is scheduled to take place on 22 December 2025.

Also Read: