Polish general to lead Georgian monitoring mission

General Tyszkiewicz was Poland’s first commander in Iraq following the US-led invasion and until 2010 was Poland’s ambassador in Sarajevo, Bosnia.

Poland’s foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that the appointment is very good news for Poland.

“I am very happy with the fact that another competent Pole has been appreciated by the EU. General Tyszkiewicz is to lead a mission in Georgia, a country with which Poland is very closely linked,” Sikorski said Friday.

General Andrzej Tyszkiewicz is 62 years old and will be monitoring the observance of the ceasefire signed by Russia and Georgia in August 2008.

Last week, President of European Council, Herman Van Rompuy reaffirmed the EU’s support to keep Georgia’s territorial integrity intact.

“Let me recall the EU’s position of continued support for the security, stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and of full implementation of the Six-point agreement of 12 August 2008, as well as its implementing measures,” Van Rompuy said at a joint news conference with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso at a Russian-EU summit on 10 June.

A report on the EU’s Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy for 2010, however, found that the EUMM mission, started three years ago, has failed to be totally effective as it cannot gain access to all areas in the region.

“[EUMM] was unable to carry out its mandate in the whole territory of Georgia given that it was prevented from getting access to the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” concluded the report. (pg/ab)