As Special Representative, Christoph Späti will, among other things, support efforts to resolve the conflict in Georgia. The OSCE, the UN and the EU are working together to promote dialogue. Discussions addressing the effects of the Georgia-Russia war have been held in Geneva since 2008. This is the only dialogue format that has brought Georgia, the Russian Federation and Abkhazian and South Ossetian representatives to the table. Together with the UN and the EU, the Special Representative prepares and chairs each round of talks.
His tasks also include facilitating the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM). Under this mediation mechanism, representatives of the Tbilisi security authorities, the de facto Tskhinvali authorities and representatives of Russia discuss security-related incidents, such as arrests and airspace violations, and other problems such as access to agricultural land, water supply and cross-border school attendance. The EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and the Special Representative facilitate the discussions, which are held in Ergneti in Georgia on the administrative boundary line with the South Ossetia region.
Before taking up his post as programme manager at the PHRD in Georgia, Mr Späti had already worked in the South Caucasus on several occasions, for example as a member of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (2005–06) and the OSCE Mission to Georgia (2008–09). He was deputy head of the Swiss embassy in Kyiv before transferring to the PHRD in Bern.
Switzerland has long been active in strengthening the OSCE and engaged in the South Caucasus region. Among other things, it has been exercising the protecting power mandate for Russia in Georgia and for Georgia in Russia since 2009. After the August 2008 war and Russia's recognition of the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgia broke off diplomatic relations with Russia. The South Caucasus is an important region for the OSCE area.
By bringing in Swiss expertise in the form of this Special Representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office on South Caucasus, Switzerland is helping to maintain the OSCE's ability to act. This work is in keeping with Switzerland's 2024–27 foreign policy strategy and OSCE 2022–25 action plan. The country will take on OSCE chairpersonship in 2026, and has already been working with Finland and Malta in the Troika of the current, preceding and subsequent chairpersonship countries since early 2025.
Further information:
OSCE (Web FDFA)
OSCE Actionplan 2022-2025
Foreign Policy Strategy 2024-2027
Address for enquiries:
FDFA Communication
Federal Palace West Wing
CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55
E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch
Twitter: @SwissMFA
