MPs Concerned over Possible Downsizing of OSCE Border Monitoring
Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze told reporters on October 5 that she was informed by OSCE officials that the organization is cutting its budget for the OSCE Mission to Georgia next year, which will lead to a reduction of the organization?s activity in the country.
?It will mainly concern the OSCE Border Monitoring Operation. The news is really a concern [for Georgia], especially against the background of Georgia?s demands to further expand OSCE’s border monitoring operations,? Nino Burjanadze said.
Georgia insists that the OSCE observers monitor the breakaway South Ossetian section of the Russo-Georgian border as well. This initiative, however, is opposed by both Tskhinvali and Moscow.
?The cutting of the budget means that the OSCE will wrap-up its border operations, which is really very negative for Georgia,? MP Kote Gabashvili, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Relations, told reporters.
Up to 150 un-armed observers from OSCE member countries conduct round-the-clock foot, air and land-vehicle monitoring procedures throughout the 280 km section of the Russian-Georgian border, in an effort to observe and report border-crossing movements. According to the OSCE Tbilisi office, 42 air crossings and 373 foot crossings were reported at this border in 2003.
The OSCE launched these patrols initially along the 82 km border between Georgia and the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation in 1999, following frequent, mutual accusations between Tbilisi and Moscow over the cross-border movements of militant groups.
In December 2001, at the request of the Georgian government, the OSCE agreed to extend its monitoring mission into the 58 km Ingush section of the Georgian-Russian border. In December 2002 the OSCE decided to further extend its monitoring mission to include the Daghestani section of the border.
On June 29 the OSCE Permanent Council prolonged its border monitoring mission in Georgia for an additional six more months, until December 31, 2004.
