On 5 April, the Head of the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia, Mr. Erik Høeg, participated as a keynote speaker at an event in Vienna focusing on EU-OSCE cooperation regarding the Georgia conflict. The title of the event, organised for representatives of OSCE Missions, was “The EU – OSCE Synergies for the Security and Stability in Georgia: The Role of the EU Monitoring Mission”.
The seminar, in cooperation with the Mission of Sweden to the OSCE in Vienna, was organised by the Permanent Mission of Romania to the International Organisation in Vienna.
The event provided a platform to discuss cooperation on the ground as well as the instruments at the disposal of both the EU and OSCE to promote stability and peace in Georgia. Speakers concurred in describing cooperation between the EUMM and OSCE as excellent: for example, in the context of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism meetings taking place in Ergneti monthly - a format that is jointly facilitated by the OSCE and the EUMM.
Speakers at the event also included Ambassador Rudolph Michalka (Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus), Ambassador Ioannis Vrailas (Deputy Head of the Delegation of the EU to the International Organisations in Vienna) and Ambassador Marcel Pesko (Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre). Ambassador Cristian Istrate (Permanent Representative of Romania to the International Organisation in Vienna), moderated the discussion.
(From Left to Right) – Ambassador M. Pesko, Ambassador I. Vrailas, Ambassador C. Istrate (moderator), Mr. Erik Høeg and Ambassador R. Michalka