IPRM meeting in Ergneti fails
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Friday, August 30
The 95th meeting of Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism in Ergneti has failed. As the Deputy Head of the Analytical Department of the State Security Service, Irakli Antadze stated in a conversation with the media, the Ossetian delegation left the meeting.
According to the Georgian side, the recent developments in Gugutiantkari was among the issues that were to be discussed; the list of topics also included the illegal arrests by the occupation regime, the process of creeping occupation and illegal border crossings, provocative actions of the occupation forces near the village of Chorchana in Khashuri municipality, as well as the issue of Archil Tatunashvili’s case.
As Antadze explained, the agenda of yesterday’s meeting was to discuss all the incidents that have occurred since the previous Ergneti meeting (July, 18) and which endanger the security environment on the ground.
“In particular, we were planning to put a heavy emphasis on the so-called illegal Borderisation in Gugutianthkari, when occupation forces erected artificial barriers in homes and yards of local residents. Strong emphasis was to be put on the demolition of houses owned by indigenous Georgians displaced by the occupation forces and the construction of a landfill in Eredvi,” explained Antadze.
Analytical Department of State Security Service representative also added: “We wanted to discuss the facts of illegal detention of Georgian citizens along the occupation line, and in addition to these acute issues, we have to close the case for the torture and brutal murder of Archil Tatunashvili.”
According to him, the meeting started with a review of the security environment. The conversation was about provocative actions by the occupation forces near the village of Chorchana.
As reported by State Security Service on August 28, the movement of military equipment of the occupation forces were observed near the village of Chorchana, Khashuri municipality. Chorchana is bordered by the occupied village of Tsneli.
As Antadze explained, while discussing this issue, Tskhinvali officials, with the support of the occupation forces, have taken an extremely destructive position and repeatedly issued an ultimatum and threatened the operating of IPRM format in Ergneti if their requirements were not met. “Central Government emphasized that IPRM is not a format where it is acceptable to speak in the language of ultimatums, any issue can be discussed through dialogue,” Antadze said.
The deputy head of the Information-Analytical Department of the Georgian National Security Service said that the Tskhinvali representatives did not approve the constructive proposal of the central government of Georgia and thwarted the meeting.
The Ossetian side demanded the withdrawal of armed forces from the so-called border area and ceasing illegal construction. What they call “illegal” is actually road works in the forest of Chorchani village, controlled by the Georgian government and placement of police guard post there.
According to Antadze, the Georgian police checkpoint is located in the territory controlled by the central government. Therefore, in his words, any ultimatum on where Georgia deploys its own police forces “contains absurdity saturated with cynicism.”
Antadze announces, that in case of provocative actions in the vicinity of Chorchana, the Russian Federation will be held responsible for any complications: “Full responsibility will be placed on the Russian Federation as a force exercising effective control over the occupied territories.”
The next meeting of Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism in Ergneti is scheduled for October 2.
