OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Didier Burkhalter calls for pragmatic cooperation to resolve conflict in Georgia
Bern, 03.06.2014 - On the second day of his visit to the South Caucasus, the President of the Swiss Confederation, Didier Burkhalter, met Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze, and members of the Georgian parliament in Tbilisi. The main topic of their discussions was the conflict in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. At the administrative boundary line at Ergneti, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office visited members of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism, whose mediation work he praised as an example of pragmatic solutions to cross-boundary issues. President Burkhalter also signed two bilateral agreements with Georgia.
Today, President Burkhalter arrived in the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi. He conducted talks with Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze and with members of the governing party and the opposition, primarily on the conflict in the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The OSCE is mediating in this conflict in conjunction with the EU and the UN within the framework of the Geneva International Discussions. The Swiss OSCE Chairmanship is represented in these talks by the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Southern Caucasus, Ambassador Angelo Gnädinger, who also took part in the talks in Tbilisi today.
At his meeting with President Margvelashvili, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office emphasised the importance of confidence-building measures in the region, and called for concrete steps to meet the specific needs of people affected by the conflict. In this context he expressed the idea of establishing a mobile OSCE team that would support the OSCE’s work in Georgia from Vienna. As one example, he mentioned improved freedom of movement and travel. To this end Switzerland is supporting a number of events within the framework of its OSCE Chairmanship in which members of civil society from the whole South Caucasus region can participate. President Burkhalter also called for a greater involvement on the part of the OSCE to the region.
Prior to his meeting with President Margvelashvili, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office had met members of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) near Ergneti at the administrative boundary line between Georgia and the region of South Ossetia. Under the chair of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and the OSCE Special Representative, representatives of the security authorities from Tbilisi, Tskhinvali and Moscow discuss security-related incidents such as arrests, violations of air space, encounters between patrols as well as everyday problems such as access to farmland, water sources and schools on the other side of the administrative boundary line. President Burkhalter praised the work as "an impressive example of pragmatic cooperation across boundaries". The IPRM proves, he said, that thanks to the joint commitment of all parties, the security of the people of the region and their living conditions can be improved.
Investment protection treaty and cooperation agreement
At the bilateral level, Switzerland and Georgia maintain close relations. Switzerland has represented Georgia's interests in Russia and Russia's interests in Georgia since the two countries severed bilateral relations in 2008. Within the framework of the 2013-2016 regional cooperation strategy for the South Caucasus, Switzerland is supporting several projects in Georgia, including those on economic development and job creation in the agricultural sector, as well as the improved integration of internally displaced people and the prevention of natural disasters. Switzerland has earmarked approximately CHF 41 million to support projects in Georgia in the period from 2013 to 2016.
Today, Mr Burkhalter and Mr Garibashvili signed an investment protection treaty to promote the potential for bilateral trade. In 2013, Switzerland imported mostly textiles and agricultural products, and exported pharmaceutical products and watches. The volume of trade amounted to approximately CHF 50 million. Following the signing of the investment protection treaty, Mr Burkhalter and Ms Panjikidze signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the two countries' foreign ministries.
In the evening, President Burkhalter will meet a group of young Georgians. They will discuss the ideas and thoughts of these young people about the future of Georgia. The inclusion of young people in debating and shaping policy is also one of the priorities of the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship.
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