A short video (reel) published on September 9 is circulating on Facebook, according to which the European Union arrived at the occupation line to create a tense environment and there is a danger of opening a “second front”. Some of the comments on the video were written in the last few days, which shows that the video has been actively shared recently.
The video published on Facebook was originally published on TikTok on September 8.
The video was taken during the visit of Joseph Borelli to Georgia and is being distributed in a manipulative manner. Leaders of different countries and representatives of international organizations often visit the occupation line during their visits to Georgia. In addition, the EU Monitoring Mission has been working in Georgia since 2008 and aims to promote stability in the region.
The circulated footage was taken during the visit of Joseph Borrell, the EU’s high representative in the field of foreign affairs and security policy, to Georgia.
Borrell arrived in Georgia on September 7, 2023 for a two-day visit. On September 8, he arrived at the Tskhinvali occupation line, Khurvaleti together with the representatives of the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM). The same footage that can be seen in the video spread on Facebook and, according to the logo on the video, was broadcast by the Georgian Times, was also broadcast by the TV company “Mtavari”.
| Shots from the video disseminated on Facebook | Shots from the story about the arrival of Borrell at the occupation line |
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The claim that the arrival of Borrell or the EU Monitoring Mission to the occupation line artificially escalates the situation is manipulative. The EU monitoring mission in Georgia started on October 1, 2008. The mission’s main goal is to promote long-term stability in Georgia and the wider region. The mission was created to monitor the implementation of the agreement reached to end the Russo-Georgian war. The representatives of the mission constantly patrol the occupied territories, the occupation line, and record the process of illegal borderization. Ergneti Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meetings are organized under the chairmanship of the European Union Monitoring Mission and the OSCE, which provide an opportunity for dialogue between the representatives of the authorities of Georgia, Russia and de facto South Ossetia.
During their visits to Georgia, leaders and representatives of Georgia’s partners often visit the occupation line to get acquainted with the situation on the ground. Visiting the occupation line signifies the support of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia. For example, in recent years, during their visits to Georgia, German Foreign Minister Analena Berbock, Foreign Ministers of Austria, Romania and Lithuania, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, American Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Robert Portman, German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the occupation line.
On November 6, near the village of Kirbali, in the occupied territory, the Russian occupation forces killed one Georgian citizen and detained another illegally. After the mentioned incident, according to the Georgian Security Service, the representatives of the central government of Georgia requested to hold a technical meeting on November 6 with the participation of the representatives of the Russian occupation forces, the occupied Tskhinvali region and the EU Monitoring Mission. The EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) also responded to the murder of a Georgian citizen, condemning the use of force and expressing their condolences to the family of the deceased.
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