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Log inEU monitors start patrols in Georgia, eye Russians
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EU monitors start patrols in Georgia, eye Russians
by Outspoken on Wed Oct 01, 2008 5:58 am
EU monitors start patrols in Georgia, eye Russians
By MATT SIEGEL
Associated Press Writer
GORI, Georgia - European Union monitors began patrolling Georgian territory Wednesday under a French-brokered peace deal, and Russian troops allowed some monitors into a buffer zone around South Ossetia despite insisting earlier they would be blocked.
A Russian peacekeeping statement Tuesday saying monitors would not be allowed on Georgian territory around the separatist region of South Ossetia had raised concern that Moscow was stalling on withdrawing its troops from Georgia as it promised to do after its August war with Georgia.
But when EU observers arrived Wednesday at Russian checkpoints near the Georgian villages of Karaleti and Kvenatkotsa, at the perimeter of Russia's so-called "security zone" on Georgian territory, Russians quickly let them move into the area.
The Russian soldiers didn't allow reporters to follow the observers into the buffer zone near Kvenatkotsa, but let Georgian civilians pass after examining their vehicles.
"The situation is very calm," Ivan Kukushkin, a Russian officer in charge of the checkpoint said with a smile.
EU mission head Hansjoerg Haber told reporters the Russian military had earlier warned the EU monitors from entering the buffer zone, citing concerns for their security.
"We received different signals," Haber told reporters. "We want to clarify these differences in the coming hours."
Another group of EU monitors visited the village of Odisi in a different sector just outside South Ossetia.
Russia and Georgia agreed to the EU observer mission as part of an updated cease-fire plan following the war, which ended with Russian and separatist forces in control of the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and dug in on other territory in Georgia.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081001/ap_on_re_eu/eu_georgia_russia;_ylt=ApAGodG_ORl8yoVV2dVXXNGs0NUE
By MATT SIEGEL
Associated Press Writer
GORI, Georgia - European Union monitors began patrolling Georgian territory Wednesday under a French-brokered peace deal, and Russian troops allowed some monitors into a buffer zone around South Ossetia despite insisting earlier they would be blocked.
A Russian peacekeeping statement Tuesday saying monitors would not be allowed on Georgian territory around the separatist region of South Ossetia had raised concern that Moscow was stalling on withdrawing its troops from Georgia as it promised to do after its August war with Georgia.
But when EU observers arrived Wednesday at Russian checkpoints near the Georgian villages of Karaleti and Kvenatkotsa, at the perimeter of Russia's so-called "security zone" on Georgian territory, Russians quickly let them move into the area.
The Russian soldiers didn't allow reporters to follow the observers into the buffer zone near Kvenatkotsa, but let Georgian civilians pass after examining their vehicles.
"The situation is very calm," Ivan Kukushkin, a Russian officer in charge of the checkpoint said with a smile.
EU mission head Hansjoerg Haber told reporters the Russian military had earlier warned the EU monitors from entering the buffer zone, citing concerns for their security.
"We received different signals," Haber told reporters. "We want to clarify these differences in the coming hours."
Another group of EU monitors visited the village of Odisi in a different sector just outside South Ossetia.
Russia and Georgia agreed to the EU observer mission as part of an updated cease-fire plan following the war, which ended with Russian and separatist forces in control of the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and dug in on other territory in Georgia.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081001/ap_on_re_eu/eu_georgia_russia;_ylt=ApAGodG_ORl8yoVV2dVXXNGs0NUE
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