On 22 September in Gali, Georgian, Abhaz, Russian and EUMM representatives attended the fifth Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism meeting conducted under the auspices of the UN. Despite the differing positions, discussions were held in a positive atmosphere. The main issues followed up from the previous meeting were regarding maritime incidents in the Black Sea and access to education for Georgian pupils living in Gali.
Participants agreed that the situation for the Georgian pupils living in Gali had been mostly satisfactory at the start of the new academic year and a constructive dialogue was also held on ways to avoid future maritime incidents. Both issues will be followed up at the next meeting.
A shared desire for cooperation on criminal matters for the benefit of the local population was also expressed.
The next meeting is scheduled to take place in Gali on 6 October.