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Recent developments in Khurvaleti village were discussed during Ergnet IPRM meeting

March 27, 2019
Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli

On March 22, 92nd meeting was organized in the frame of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism in Ergneti, where the parties discussed the March 15 developments in Khurvaleti village. 

Representative of the Tskhinvali de-facto government Egor Kochiev said Georgian and Ossetian law enforcement officers and Russian armed forces effectively cooperated for the prevention of possible provocation. He said, Davit Katsarava planned to enter the South Ossetia controlled territory from Khurvaleti and start a provocation there. As for the arrival of the military officers into the Georgia-controlled territory from the occupied South Ossetia, Kochiev did not confirm this information. 

“According to my information, the situation in Khurvaleti did not turn into an incident. We said during the meeting that Georgian law enforcement officers acted very correctly; the same was done by the law enforcement officers from South Ossetia with the mediation of the EUMM; finally the situation in Khurvaleti did not turn into serious incident. You have an activist in Georgia – Davit Katsarava, who decided that Russian armed forces are occupying Khurvaleti village. In fact, neither the State Security Service, nor the Minister for Reconciliation Ketevan Tsikhelashvili of Georgia confirmed that Russian militaries or others, or the soldiers of South Ossetia were in the Georgia-controlled territory. All forces of South Ossetia were deployed in the territory of South Ossetia. It was provocation, which was planned by the activists of the Power Is in Unity, who decided to expel those forces, who have occupied the Georgian territory. In fact, it was not truth. Unless Georgian police officers had stopped those activists timely, it could turn into an incident,” Egor Kochiev said after the IPRM meeting. 
Deputy Head of the Analytic Department of the State Security Service of Georgia Irakli Antadze said the policy of the central authority of Georgia is to prevent incidents that are related with the recently established restrictions in Khurvaleti village. Since March 15, police officers at the block post in the entrance of the village allow only local inhabitants to enter the village. 

“It is preventive measure as there is always risk of potential threat coming from the occupied region and the occupation regime. I cannot give clear answer how long this restriction may last,” Antadze said. Journalists also inquired whether the members of the occupation army had really entered the Georgia-controlled territory on March 15 and he answered:
“Statements were already made about this issue and I cannot say anything else. The EUMM also made statement. Unfortunately, I did not personally hear the comment of Mr. Kochiev but I want   to assure everybody that all structures are mobilized to prevent all possible threats, even any indicator of incidents,” Irakli Antadze said.

Besides the Khurvaleti case, the representatives of the Government of Georgia raised the issue of the illegal borderization, illegal detention of the Georgian citizens and problems related with the freedom of movement of local inhabitants alongside the occupation line. The next, 93rd meeting will be held on May 16 in Ergneti. 

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