Irakli Kobakhidze, the Prime Minister of Georgia, on Thursday attended a solemn ceremony commemorating the individuals who went missing during the 1992-1993 armed conflict in the now Russian-occupied Abkhazia region. 

Offering his condolences to the families affected by the tragic events of the 1990s, Kobakhidze stood in solidarity with them during the civil funeral held at the Tbilisi Trinity Cathedral, the Government press office said.

Accompanying him were dignitaries including Speaker of the Parliament Shalva Papuashvili and members of the Cabinet of Ministers, the press office added.

Through collaborative efforts between the Office of the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality and the International Committee of the Red Cross, 12 identified missing persons were repatriated to their families. Among them, five servicemembers were slated for burial at the Dighom brothers' cemetery, while others will receive military honors at ancestral cemeteries, as per the families' decisions.

This repatriation marks a step forward in addressing the plight of those missing since the conflict, with over 55 individuals identified and returned to their families last year alone.

Operating since 2010 with support from the ICRC, this mechanism facilitates cooperation between Abkhaz and Georgian stakeholders. According to the ICRC, since its establishment, the remains of more than  270 individuals have been recovered from various locations in Abkhazia and returned to their families.