EU Civilian Operations Commander visiting Georgia: EUMM is here to send a signal on behalf of 500 million Europeans

The EU Civilian Operations Commander, Kenneth Deane, arrived in Georgia yesterday to visit the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM). Mr. Deane is commander of the EU’s civilian operations and responsible for the conduct of all civilian Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) Missions around the world (currently 10 mission in total) and Director of the EU Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability.  

“The EUMM is one of the most successful CSDP missions ever launched. It is important to Georgia, it is important to the region and it is important to the EU.”, said Mr. Deane and referred to it as “An achieving mission. A success mission. A mission that delivers”.

Addressing the EUMM staff, Mr. Deane underlined importance of the operational aspects of the EUMM. In particular, he referred to the monthly meetings under the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) as a vital instrument to facilitate regional dialogue. 

“Georgia is on the doorstep to Europe and the EUMM is here to send a signal on behalf of the 28 Member States and more than 500 million Europeans. We are here with a strong and massive mandate. The mandate and the mission covers the entire territory of Georgia”, said Mr. Deane and reiterated the European Union’s policy that the mission should be allowed to implement its mandate throughout Georgia, including in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. 

Following meetings at the EUMM HQ, Mr. Deane’s visit continued to the Field Office in Mtskheta accompanied by Kestutis Jankauskas, Head of Mission and Peter Torda, EUMM Desk Officer. The Field Office Chief, Georgios Papaioannou, gave a briefing about current tasks of the Field Office and recent developments. Later Mr. Deane met the EUMM monitors attached to the Field Office and expressed his appreciation for their contribution to stabilising the situation in the region.

Mission members ask t he EU Civilian Operations Commander  questions

The EU Civilian Operations Commander, Kenneth Deane, was welcomed to Georgia by Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia, Kęstutis Jankauskas


The EU Civilian Operations Commander, Kenneth Deane (centre) visiting Field Office Mtskheta accompanied by Kestutis Jankauskas, Head of Mission and Peter Torda, EUMM Desk Officer (left)


“The Field Offices is where it takes place”, said The EU Civilian Operations Commander, Kenneth Deane addressing EUMM staff, during his visit