TBILISI, 26 May 2022 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative on the South Caucasus, Kari Henriksen (Norway), concluded a two-day visit to Georgia, where she emphasized the importance of continued efforts to improve the lives of people affected by protracted conflicts, also in times of crisis in the OSCE region.
Henriksen started her visit off with meetings in the parliament, where discussions focused on the regional security environment and the impact of the war in Ukraine on the South Caucasus region. She met with the Head of the Georgian Parliamentary Delegation to the OSCE PA, Nikoloz Samkharadze and Nino Iobashvili, as well as with the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Defense and Security Committee, Irakli Beraia and Vladimer Chachibaia.
Main focus of her visit was the current situation of the people affected and displaced by the conflicts in Georgia. In Tserovani and Tbilisi, she visited IDP housing facilities provided by the government and met with IDPs, talking about the ongoing efforts of the government in improving the conditions of displaced persons.
Kari Henriksen with Georgian MP Nino Iobashvili at the ABL, 24 May 2022Visiting the administrative boundary line near Khurvaleti, Henriksen was briefed by the State Security Service of Georgia on the impact of the ‘borderisation’ on the lives of the conflict-affected population living on both sides of the ABL.
"People should not be subject to restrictions of their basic human rights, but be able to move freely to access health services and education, also during protracted conflicts," Henriksen said. "I commend the ongoing work to support and improve the lives of IDPs in Georgia, but I also encourage even more ambitious initiatives to improve the lives of people affected by the conflicts."
During meetings with Tea Akhvlediani, State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, as well as Ruslan Abashidze, Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, Henriksen had the chance to discuss also the ongoing work of the government and International Organizations aimed at reconciliation and confidence-building measures.
At the Headquarter of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia, confidence-building measures were also in focus. Special Representative Henriksen was briefed about the work of the mission and expressed her appreciation for the close and good co-operation between the OSCE and the EU in Georgia.
The visit has been a continuation of a previous visit to the country in September 2021 and Henriksen will return to the region in June, when she will visit Armenia and Azerbaijan. During the upcoming Annual Session of the OSCE PA in Birmingham, she will present her report to the Assembly and outline proposals for future engagement in the region.
For more on the work of the Special Representative on South Caucasus, please click here.
Photos of Special Representative Henriksen's visit are available on Flickr.
