EU monitors fully deployed in Georgia

An EU mission to monitor the ceasefire in Georgia is fully deployed and has met Russian forces to discuss their pullback from positions deep inside the Caucasus country, a senior EU official said yesterday.

Under a deal brokered by France after last month's Russia-Georgia war, Russian forces are due to withdraw from two "security zones" adjacent to breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia by October 10.

The official, who asked not to be named, said more than 300 European Union staff - civilian monitors and support - were on the ground, and had begun spreading out to field offices.

"They will be ready to begin the mission in the early hours of October 1," the official said. "At a technical level we met with the Russians over the weekend."

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana is due to visit Georgia today to inspect the new EU operation and meet President Mikheil Saakashvili. He will also visit refugees in the town of Gori, close to South Ossetia, an EU statement said.

Russia sent forces over its southern border in early August to repel an offensive by former Soviet Georgia, a US ally, to retake South Ossetia from pro-Moscow separatists.

Russian forces pushed into undisputed Georgian territory, drawing condemnation from the West but no sanctions.

Under the pullback deal, the EU agreed to provide at least 200 observers to monitor the ceasefire.

The deployment of an additional 80 military monitors from the 56-nation Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe has been blocked by disagreement with Russia over their access to South Ossetia.

Russia says the EU monitors will not be able to operate inside the rebel regions, which Moscow has since recognised as independent states. Russia plans to keep around 7,600 soldiers in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.