European observers in Georgia: mission extended for one year.

(BRUSSELS2) On July 27, the 27 EU Foreign Ministers will officially extend the EU observation mission in Georgia (EUMM Georgia) for one year (until September 2010). Its format should remain largely unchanged. But the operation plan (OpPlan) is slightly modified. The EU remains, after the departure of the UNOMIG (United Nations force in Georgia), present on the edge of Abkhazia, and of the OSCE observers, the only international observation force present in the region.

After setting up an Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism in South Ossetia, the EUMM mission announced that it had held a first meeting of the same kind, in mid-July, to set up a equivalent device on the Abkhaz side.

The mandate of the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) for the crisis in Georgia” is also extended, but for a period of just six months, until February 28. A difference which can be explained by the need to set the date of the special representative in Georgia on the other mandates of the special representatives.

(photo credit: Eumm georgia)