An observer mission from the European Union officially started its work in Georgia on Wednesday to monitor the implementation of ceasefire deals in the Caucasus conflict zone, according to reports.
The mission, comprising more than 200 observers from 22 of 27 EU member states, will be working in territories close to the South Ossetian and Abkhazian conflict zones at the first stage, the Itar-Tass and Interfax news agencies cited EU chief diplomat Javier Solana as saying in Tbilisi.
According to French-brokered ceasefire agreements between Russia and Georgia, Moscow is to withdraw its troops from Georgian territories bordering on the Abkhazian and South Ossetian conflict zones by Oct. 10 as the first step.
The observer mission, headed by German diplomat Hansjorg Haber, will start the next stage of its work when Russian troops, under the ceasefire agreements, leave the whole Georgian territory, the EU foreign policy and security chief said.
Georgian troops launched a sudden attack against its breakaway region of South Ossetia on early Aug. 8 to reclaim control over the Caucasus region. Russia sent in troops the next day and defeated the Georgian forces.
The military conflict was stopped on Aug. 12 with a France-brokered ceasefire pact in which Moscow promised to pull out its troops. A follow-up agreement set a timetable for the withdrawal of Russian troops and for the deployment of foreign observer missions.
South Ossetia and Abkhazia broke from central Georgian rule in the early 1990s following the collapse of the former Soviet Union. Moscow recognized the two regions as independent states on Aug. 26.
(Xinhua News Agency October 1, 2008)
