Russia against extending OSCE mission in Georgia
22/12/2008 15:38 VIENNA, December 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russia said it is against extending the mandate for the Organization for the Security and Cooperation in Europe mission in Georgia, which expires on December 31, Russia's OSCE envoy said on Monday.
"From the point of view of Russian law on the recognition of South Ossetia [and Abkhazia] it is illegal," Anvar Azimov said.
The Russian envoy to the OSCE said that the current mandate needs to be reviewed as it authorizes the presence of observers in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The OSCE mission had a presence in South Ossetia until Georgia's August 8 attack on its rebel province. The organization has stated its willingness to reinstate its monitors to South Ossetia after the five-day Georgia-Russia war, but was denied permission by the local authorities, who accused the OSCE of failing to prevent the Georgian attack.
Azimov added that Russia would consider a technical extension of the mandate for the OSCE mission, but only on Georgian territory and not if it included Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
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