Sep 30, 2008 9:08 pm US/Pacific
EU Monitors Start Patrolling Georgian Territory
GORI, Georgia (AP) ―
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South Ossetians stand on the balcony of a destroyed apartment building in Tskhinvali on Aug. 28, 2008. (File)
Viktor Drachev/AFP/Getty Images
European Union monitors have started their patrols of Georgian territory near South Ossetia in line with a French-brokered peace deal.
Unarmed EU monitors in light armored vehicles have deployed in several areas near Georgia's separatist province of South Ossetia.
Hansjoerg Haber, who is heading the EU observer mission, instructed the monitors to be friendly and show confidence as they left for their mission Wednesday.
Setting stage for more tensions, Russia warned Tuesday that it would not allow them to enter a buffer zone surrounding the separatist South Ossetia region.
The Russian statement appeared to be another example of Moscow stalling on compliance with a cease-fire agreement it had reached after the August war with Georgia over breakaway South Ossetia.
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