NATO Parliamentary Assembly Delegation Visits EUMM

A NATO Parliamentary Assembly delegation led by its President, John Tanner, met with the Deputy Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission General Gilles Janvier on 7 April. The delegation were able to hear about the role and work of the Mission and its views on future stability in the areas adjacent to the South Ossetian and Abkhazian administrative boundary lines.
General Janvier set out the progress of the Mission so far, with the withdrawal of Russian forces behind the boundary lines last October, the return of many IDPs since last August’s conflict, the Memoranda of Understanding with the Georgian Interior and Defence Ministries and the reconfiguration of the Field Offices this February. He also explained the challenges ahead, including the situation at Perevi and Akhalgori, the lack of a clear dialogue with the Russian, South Ossetian and Abkhazian authorities, the reinforcement of defensive positions on both sides of the administrative boundary lines and the efforts to implement the Incident Prevention Mechanism agreed in Geneva by all sides in February.
The NATO team welcomed the comprehensive and concise briefing and reaffirmed NATO’s commitment to the success of the EU Monitoring Mission.