Tbilisi, 10 February 2023 — Today, EUMM Acting Head of Mission, Dr. Tibor Kozma, hosted a Croatian delegation, led by the Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gordan Grlić-Radman, on a visit to the Odzisi crossing point.
In Odzisi, EUMM Acting Head of Mission briefed the Foreign Minister and his delegation on the security situation and recent developments along the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL). In his briefing, Dr. Kozma also highlighted the continued difficulties local population on both sides of the ABL face, in particular with regard to the protracted closure of the Odzisi crossing point for regular cross-ABL traffic. EUMM monitors explained how the ongoing ‘borderisation‘ activities restrict the freedom of movement of the conflict-affected population, for example when it comes to access to agricultural land and water, as well as to quality healthcare, education and employment opportunities.
Dr. Kozma underlined that EUMM, together with the OSCE, continues to advocate for the release of Georgians from detention in Tskhinvali, as well as for a full re-opening of crossing points along the South Ossetian ABL at the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM).
Following the visit to the ABL, the Croatian Foreign Minister and his colleagues expressed their appreciation of the briefing and thanked EUMM staff for their contribution to stability in Georgia and the wider region.
Two Croatian staff currently work in EUMM.
