Russia's Foreign Ministry was "in consternation" as Salome Zurabishvili, Georgia's Foreign Minister, said international frontier monitoring-which stopped, January 1, as leading to no effect-was now necessary to track down and prevent tentative action, in particular, alleged Russian preventive strikes on Georgia. International observers are to come as a barrier between Georgia and Russia.
It is hard to regard such statements as that otherwise than intended to confuse the issue and contrast Russia to the European Union despite their close partnership, stresses the commentary.
Russia-EU relations rule out the EU used as an anti-Russian tool to serve Georgian politicians' doubtful interests.
Security along the Russian-Georgian frontier ought to be strengthened, above all, through the progress of constructive team efforts by the two countries' border guard and law enforcement bodies, argues the ministry.
It is willing to consider other realistic options for international assistance to Georgia as it seeks to enhance its border guard efficiency. The OSCE-Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe-was monitoring the Chechen stretch of the Russian-Georgian frontier for several years. The monitoring stopped, January 1, after it was found inefficient and to have used up its opportunities despite considerable sums spent on the mission.
Chechen paramilitaries, as a rule, well knew international inspectors' routes and observation posts, and planned their action in the frontier area accordingly. International presence never alarmed them, so it will hardly be fruitful to replace one monitoring with another, the commentary remarks.
