EU observers begin patrol of Georgian territory

EUROPEAN Union monitors, including four Irish personnel, began patrolling Georgian territory yesterday under a France- 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 statement on 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 yesterday 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 did not 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.

Hansjörg Haber, head of the EU mission to Georgia, 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 just outside South Ossetia.

Russia and Georgia agreed to the EU observer mission as part of an updated ceasefire plan following the recent 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.

As part of the deal, Moscow agreed to withdraw its forces completely from areas outside of South Ossetia and Abkhazia within 10 days of the EU monitors’ deployment yesterday, including from a 4-mile buffer zone south from South Ossetia.

“The Russians gave us plans for dismantling their (check)points but didn’t say when,” Haber said.

Russia still plans to keep around 7,600 troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and has refused to allow EU monitors inside the regions themselves.