OSCE Ready to Monitor Gudauta Base in Abkhazia

OSCE Chairman-in-Office Dimitrij Rupel said on May 31 that the organization is ready to conduct international monitoring of the former Russian military base in Gudauta, which is located in Georgia?s breakaway Abkhazia.

According to a joint declaration signed by Russian and Georgian Foreign Ministers in Moscow on May 30, the sides agreed to continue work over the launch of international monitoring of Gudauta base under the aegis of the OSCE. Russia claims it has already closed down its base in Gudauta, as envisaged by 1999 OSECE Istanbul treaty; however Georgian insists on international monitoring of the base to verify the fact of closure.
 
“The Chairmanship is ready to promote active involvement of the OSCE in support of such monitoring, should this be requested by the relevant parties,” Dimitrij Rupel said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

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