TSKHINVALI. Sept 29 (Interfax-AVN) - More than 140 military observers from 22 member countries of the European Union will replace Russian peacekeepers in the buffer zone between Georgia and South Ossetia, the peacekeepers' spokesman Lt. Col. Vitaly Manushko told Interfax-AVN on Monday.
"Representatives of the EU military observation mission and commander of Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia Maj. Gen. Marat Kulakhmetov have met to discuss the replacement procedure," he said.
"According to the preliminary agreement, the EU military mission will open two field offices, in Gori and in Bagaleti. Each office will have up to 70 observers from 22 states," he said.
The European monitors "will have neither arms nor military hardware," Manushko said.
Negotiations will continue on September 30, he added.
Russia must fully withdraw peacekeepers from areas adjoining South Ossetia and Abkhazia to the pre-conflict positions in accordance with the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan. "The forces will be withdrawn within ten days from the deployment of the international presence in that area. The presence will involve no less than 200 EU monitors, who are due to be stationed by October 1, 2008," he said.