OSCE to send another 20 military observers to Georgia
19/08/2008 17:48 VIENNA, August 19 (RIA Novosti) - The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) decided on Tuesday to immediately send 20 unarmed military observers to Georgia's buffer zone near the border with South Ossetia.
The OSCE currently has eight observers in the conflict zone, and plans to raise the number to 100 in mid-August, bringing the OSCE regional mission up to 300 people, the acting Russian envoy to the OSCE said.
"This will be done after the format of their presence in the region has been approved," Vladimir Voronkov told RIA Novosti.
Heikki Talvitie, Europe's special representative for the South Caucasus, said last week that additional monitors would be supervising openness of humanitarian aid channels, as well as the implementation by all sides of all obligations concerning ceasefire and troop withdrawal.
During a telephone conversation with his Finnish counterpart President Tarja Halonen last Saturday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he backed a larger role of the OSCE in mediating the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict.
Finland currently holds the rotating OSCE presidency.
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