HRH The Crown Princess of Sweden visits EU Mission in Georgia
On 29–30 March, The Crown Princess of Sweden visited the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia. On the agenda were the EU civilian crisis management missions and meetings with people from local communities along the post-conflict Administrative Boundary Lines (ABLs).
EUMM was established following the five-day war conflict between Russia and Georgia in 2008. The Mission’s Mandate includes ensuring that there is no return to hostilities, building confidence among the conflict parties and facilitating the resumption of a safe and normal life for the local communities – particularly along the ABLs with the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
“EU civilian crisis management missions deserve more attention and visibility. The Missions and their expert staff posted from EU Member States play an important role in the security and stability of the countries where they operate and for the EU itself.”
Johan Frisell
Head of the Security Policy Department at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, who also took part in the visit
Strong EU engagement in Georgia
The first day of the visit began with an introductory tour of the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, followed by a visit to EUMM headquarters for a meeting between The Crown Princess and Head of Mission Dimitrios Karabalis. EU engagement in Georgia, the EUMM mandate and the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy were some of the topics discussed during the day. In the evening, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili hosted a dinner at the Orbeliani Palace under the theme of Women, Peace and Security.
Meeting with people near the boundary lines
On the second day of the visit, The Crown Princess met with people who live and work along the ABLs. These included Swedes working as EUMM Monitors and local women entrepreneurs living in Tserovani, a large settlement of internally displaced people.
On a visit to the divided village of Khurvaleti (on the ABL with South Ossetia), The Crown Princess observed Russian bases, surveillance vehicles, barbed wire and other Russian installations. She also visited a school and heard the accounts of pupils and teachers living adjacent to the ABL.
European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia
EUMM was established following the five-day war between Russia and Georgia in mid-2008. The Mission comprises 251 posted civilian Monitors from 26 of the 27 EU Member States. The Mission’s Mandate includes monitoring the security situation in Georgia, building confidence among the conflict parties and facilitating the resumption of a safe and normal life for the local communities. The Mission is headquartered in Tbilisi, with Field Offices in Gori, Mtshkheta and Zugdidi.
The EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy
The EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) was first established in 1993 and sets out the EU’s relations with countries and organisations outside the EU. One of the aims of the CFSP is to contribute to international peace and security.
Under the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy, which forms an integral part of the CFSP, the EU must be able to launch military and civilian operations and missions in the event of crises around the world.
Information about all EU missions and operations – since the first launch in 2003 to the present day – is available here: Missions and Operations.