News and Features

Large Group of EU Journalists visits EUMM and the Administrative Boundary Line

10.04.2016
On Wednesday 6th April, a group of 15 Journalists, mainly based in Brussels, visited Field Office Gori and later the area of Jariasheni, where recently a furrow was ploughed  through an orchard, ostensibly as a fire break but effectively dividing a local farmers land in two, thereby affecting the freedom of movement of local people.  

The visit was organised through the European Commission Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR A2 – Inter-institutional Relations and Communications) and coordinated with the EU Delegation in Georgia and the European Journalists Centre (EJC) in the Netherlands.

The journalists represented Tagezeitung and Zeit Online (Germany), Le Figaro (France), El Pais (Spain), Politiken (Denmark), Svenska Dagbladet (Sweden), Der Standard (Austria), the Slovenian Press Agency, Radio Romania, the Polish Press Agency, Latea News Agency (Latvia), ANSA (Italy), Nepzabadsag (Hungary), the Bulgarian News Agency and Hospodarske noviny (Czech Republic).

Deputy Head of Mission Erik Hoeeg and Field Office Chief Mat Whatley briefed the journalists before the group followed a patrol led by Annett Gerber to the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) where they listened to views of the local farmers.

Although the group had a busy schedule during the two-day visit to Georgia, many journalists later said the visit to EUMM was their highlight and that they would be writing about the effects of “borderisation” on the local population along the ABL as well as the good work being done by EUMM.


The orchard bisected by the furrow


Journalists interviewing a farmer

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