Lavrov: OSCE Border Monitoring “Already Achieved its Aims”

Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia remarked in Sofia on December 8 that the OSCE Border Monitoring Mission in Georgia has “already achieved its aims.”

Russia has been calling to close down the border monitoring mission along the 280 km Daghestani, Chechen and Ingush sections of the Russian-Georgian border.

Georgia finds the monitoring useful for fending off the Russian accusations of harbouring Chechen terrorists. The US Secretary of State Colin Powell backed the Georgian position at the OSCE Ministerial Council.

?In Georgia, the OSCE?s Border Monitoring Operation is contributing to stability on a sensitive border, and its mandate should be extended for another year. We all need to make sure that the missions have the support and the resources necessary to do their jobs,? Colin Powell said.