Head of Mission visits the Command and Staff College of the National Defence Academy and discusses the Mission’s mandate with Commanders

On 24 May, Head of EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) Erik Høeg, visited the Command and Staff College which is part the National Defence Academy of the Ministry of Defence in Tbilisi.

The Head of the EUMM briefed a group of Commanders about the role and organization of the EUMM. During his presentation Erik Hoeg stressed the importance of efficient functional cooperation and active information sharing between the EUMM and the Armed Forces of Georgia. He reminded the audience of technical agreements, which are in place, and through which Georgia has committed to certain obligations regarding deployment of forces and transparency in military affairs. The Head of Mission welcomed Georgia’s compliance with the provisions in these agreements as well as with the Six Point Ceasefire Agreement that ended the war in 2008.

The EUMM Head of Mission also reminded the Commanders of EUMMs role in maintaining stability on the ground. Particular attention was also paid to the work undertaken within the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meetings in both Ergneti and Gali, and the operation of the Mission-facilitated Hotline.

The presentation was followed by a Q & A session focusing on present dynamics at the Administrative Boundary Lines and the prospect for achieving conflict resolution.

The Director of the Command and Staff College thanked the Head of Mission Erik Hoeg for his presentation and for the role of the EUMM in promoting stability in the region. 

The lecture was part of the outreach programme of the EUMM. In November 2016 the EUMM initiated this programme to increase awareness about the role of the EUMM  - by organizing presentations/lectures to higher educational institutions throughout Georgia as well as focused briefings to government institutions.

The lecture was followed by a Q&A session, during which the students  expressed great interest