EU Stand-Off With Russia Over Georgia

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Brussels In Stand-Off With Russia On Georgia
-- Financial Times

European Union monitors were due to start a delicate mission in Georgia today aimed at helping to restore the country's fragile stability, with arguments between Brussels, Tbilisi and Moscow about the scope of the deployment still unresolved.

Under the EU-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended the brief summer war between Georgia and Russia, both sides are committed to withdrawing their forces to pre-conflict positions once international observers are in place.

But, far from pulling out of the separatist Georgian territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Russia has recognised the enclaves as independent states and announced plans for the long-term stationing of 8,000 troops. Moscow has also refused to allow the EU monitors access to the two regions, even though they are mandated to work throughout Georgia. "We have a clear stand - off here and I do not see how immediately we will get out of it," said an EU diplomat in Tbilisi.

The issue could be raised in late October when low-level talks begin in Geneva aimed at finding a political resolution to the conflict but, in the meantime, the 270 unarmed police and civilian observers from 22 EU countries have their work cut out. Their immediate task will be to ensure Russian forces meet an October 10 deadline to pull out from the "buffer zones" they established round South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

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My Comment: The Russians are not going to make this easy.