Abkhazia says No to OSCE and EU monitors

Only Russian monitors will be allowed into the newly independent republic of Abkhazia, according to President Sergey Bagapsh. OSCE and EU officials are expected to monitor the security zone on the border with Georgia.

The subject of the EU Monitors was top of the agenda at the meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Brussels, 15 September 2008.

• Primary Source

Deutsche Welle, 15.9.08: EU to Put Final Touches on Observer Mission in Georgia http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3644328,00.html

ESO: Background information: Conflict history: Georgia http://www.europeansources.info/record/website-georgia-2/

Russia Today, 15.9.08: EU sends 200 observers to the Caucasus http://rt.com/news/

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 15.9.08: Council Conclusions on Georgia http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/gena/102749.pdf

France24, 15.9.08: EU agrees to send 200 observers to Georgia http://www.france24.com/en/20080915-eu-european-agrees-two-hundred-200-observers-georgia-russia-abkhazia&navi=MONDE

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