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OSCE observers ends mission in Georgia

30 June 2009 13:19 (UTC +04:00)

Tbilisi â€“ APA. OSCE observers ended their mission in Georgia, APA reports. On Tuesday, the OSCE observers closed their base near the town of Gori. Head of the mission Terry Hakala said they were leaving Georgia with regret. He said EU observers were still continuing their mission in border areas, but it would be difficult for them to conduct monitoring without the OSCE mission. Local residents also protested the closing of OSCE mission base because they saw it as an additional security element for them. The OSCE mission started its activity in Georgia in 1990s and they were conducting monitoring in the territory of unrecognized South Ossetia until the war. But after the August events, the authorities of the unrecognized republic didnâ€™t allow the OSCE observers to enter the territory. The OSCE observers continued its mission on borders with South Ossetia.