Georgia, Tbilisi, April 28 / N.Kirtzkhalia /
The EU expresses continued full confidence in the leadership of the monitoring mission, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, said. She noted that "the determination of the composition of the delegation of the EU at the meeting by another participant is unacceptable".
Scheduled for April 24 regular meeting of Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was cancelled. The occasion was the refusal of the Abkhaz side, which declared the head of EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia, General Andrzej Tyszkiewicz persona non grata because he ignores the "inquiries and appeals, putting forward wrongful demand that the EUMM visit the territory of Abkhazia".
EU High Representative noted the EU Monitoring Mission plays an important role in the IPRM's within its stabilization, normalization and confidence-building mandate. "The EU expresses its hope that the IPRM can soon meet again to the benefit of all participants," the statement says.
"The EU regrets that the Abkhazia Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meeting on 24th April was cancelled at the last minute due to certain conditions set by the Abkhaz de facto authorities," the statement reads.
She believes any challenge to established and agreed procedures of the Geneva International Discussions can have serious consequences.
Military actions were launched in the Georgian territory, South Ossetia on Aug.8 in 2008. Later the Russian troops occupied the Tskhinvali city and drove the Georgian military back. Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in late August. In response, Tbilisi broke off diplomatic relations with Moscow and announced two unrecognized republics as the occupied territories.