Finnish EU observers start work in Georgia
EUMM monitors given access to Russian-controlled security zone
European Union observers, who have arrived in Georgia to monitor the cease fire with Russia, are to be allowed to operate freely in the Russian-controlled so-called security and buffer zone, which borders on South Ossettia, an area which has been recognised as an independent country by Russia.
Juri Laas, information officer of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM), said on Thursday evening that the observers have been given free access to the security zone with the cooperation of the Russians.
According to Laas, some media reports on Wednesday erroneously claimed that the Russians would have blocked access. Laas says that the misunderstanding may have arisen from the fact that some groups of observers did not want to go beyond the checkpoint, as they only wanted to see what the Russians were doing.
After the war in August, Russian forces pushed deeper into Georgia from South Ossettia, coming close to the village of Karalet and the city of Gori. Georgian officials, including the police, have been denied access to the security zone set up between the checkpoint and the South Ossetian border; Russian peacekeepers say that they are maintaining order.
However, local villagers have been saying that they are afraid, and that they do not trust the Russian soldiers.
There are ten Finns among the EUMM observers - six are women and four are men. Their quarters are in Bazaleti, a 45-minute drive from the capital Tbilisi.
The Finns, together with the Danish group of ten and the Dutch group of four observers, comprise a rapid response force of observers
“With this group we are able to put five teams in the field”, says Jorma Gardemeister, the leader of the group.
“Our task at the moment is to be the “fist” of this mission, which is always sent to places where more people are needed.”
EUMM has a total of 200 unarmed civilian observers in Georgia.
On their first two days the Finnish observers have focussed on getting to know the surroundings, and surveyed the roads and distances. On Wednesday they visited the city of Gori. Gardmeister is pleased that the observers did not attract much attention in the streets of the city.
“Life there seemed to be continuing normally.”
During the war, Russia bombarded Gori and took control of the city by closing off roads leading to it.
The Finnish group also went to see the Russian checkpoint at Karalet, but they were not told to go into the buffer zone itself.
On Thursday, two teams went to look at the Gori refugee camp, where 2,200 Georgians who fled the war are being housed.
The Finns drive their own jeeps. Three members of the group speak fluent Russian, allowing them to communicate with many of the locals; Georgia was formerly a part of the Soviet Union, and consequently most of those over 40 speak Russian. However, especially in rural areas, people prefer to speak their own language.
Nobody in the group speaks Georgian, and the group has not managed to recruit an interpreter.
The Finnish group has earlier experience in peacekeeping activities, civilian crisis management, election monitoring, and human rights work.
The first task of the observers is to monitor the implementation of the French–brokered cease fire.
Under the agreement, Russia must pull its forces to where they were before the war broke out - that is, to South Ossetia - by October 10th. On Wednesday, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said that Russia would keep to the deadline.
Juri Laas says that as the Russians leave, the observers will monitor the return of Georgian police to the area.
The group hopes that it will also be given access to the breakaway areas of South Ossetia and Abkhasia, whose independence was also recognised by Russia in August. Laas does not want to speak of any schedules, and emphasises that now things are going “step by step”.
“If the gates to South Ossetia open up, we will certainly be among the first teams to go there”, says Jorma Gardmeister, the leader of the Finnish group.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 3.10.2008 - TODAY |
 Finnish EU observers start work in Georgia |
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