What Georgian, Russian and Tskhinvali sides discussed at 134th IPRM meeting

The 134th meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was held in the village of Ergneti, in Georgia‘s Gori municipality.

The sides discussed developments along the occupation line in the Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) since the previous meeting, as well as the current security situation.

The IPRM is a forum for addressing urgent security and humanitarian issues in the Georgian-Ossetian and Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zones. Its main objectives include securing the release of detainees, preventing incidents and addressing everyday problems faced by people living along the occupation line. Representatives of Georgia, Russia and the Tskhinvali region/Abkhazia take part in the meetings, facilitated by the OSCE and the EU Monitoring Mission.

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According to Georgia’s State Security Service (SSG), the meeting included a detailed discussion of key incidents recorded in the occupied region and along the occupation line. Particular attention was paid to restrictions on freedom of movement at the so-called crossing points.

Irakli Antadze, deputy head of the SSG’s Analytical Department, said the Georgian side had demanded the release of all those it says are being illegally detained.

“We called for a humanitarian approach to ensure that all those illegally detained can return to their families. Our international partners also supported us on this. At this stage, I cannot say anything about specific results, as consultations are continuing,” Antadze said.

According to Antadze, the sides also discussed new cases of so-called “borderisation” recorded in the Tskhinvali region since the previous meeting.

“Our positions were once again diametrically opposed, and we were unable to find common ground on this issue,” Antadze said.

At the meeting, Georgian officials again condemned what they described as illegal “borderisation” and highlighted what they said were continuing violations of fundamental human rights in the occupied Tskhinvali region.

The Georgian side also raised again the killing of Georgian citizen Tamaz Ginturi, demanding accountability and justice for the member or members of what it described as the Russian occupation forces responsible for his death.

The Georgian side also strongly demanded the immediate release of all those it says are being illegally detained.

The next IPRM meeting is scheduled for 22 October 2026.

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What issues does IPRM address?

Key issues include:

• Illegal detentions and the release of detainees;
• Restrictions on freedom of movement;
• “Borderisation”, including the installation of fences, barbed wire and other barriers along the occupation line;
• Security incidents near the occupation line;
• The opening and closure of so-called crossing points;
• Humanitarian issues affecting local residents;
• Irrigation water and other practical issues.