LT ambassador refused entry to Georgian village

TBILISI/VILNIUS - Lithuanian Ambassador to Georgia Mecys Laurinkus and accompanying diplomats were refused entry into a Russian-occupied Georgian village near South Ossetia despite Friday's reports about withdrawal of Russian forces from the location.

Laurinkus told BNS that the Perevi village had been chosen as the venue for the meeting of ambassadors of European Union (EU) member-states, an initiative of the EU's presiding country France.

On Dec. 12, Georgia and EU observers announced pull-out of Russian troops from Perevi, a border village with about 1,100 residents, mainly Georgian nationals.

Nevertheless, a column of automobiles marked with diplomatic and other special signs carrying French, Estonian, Romanian, Lithuanian and Dutch ambassadors, and representatives of international organizations was not admitted into the village some 160 kilometers from Tbilisi.

In Laurinkus' words, soldiers of Special Forces were present at the entry into the village. "We saw 20-30 soldiers, we don't know the number of troops inside the village," said the ambassador.

In his words, the diplomats had to return to Tbilisi after an hour of waiting, Russian soldiers did not even speak with them. "There was no contact whatsoever," Laurinkus said, adding that information about the diplomatic visit had been set in advance.

According to information provided by the Georgian Interior Ministry, about 500-600 Russian soldiers entered Perevi on the morning of Dec. 13 in what Georgia said was a "military operation" involving paratroopers, helicopters and armored vehicles.

The return of Russian troops led to withdrawal of Georgian police that had entered the village on Dec. 12.

On Dec. 13, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry expressed regret over the refusal to allow EU diplomats into Perevi.

"This is not the first case when Russian troops have impeded EU diplomats and international observers in Abkhazia and South Ossetia and neighboring territories from doing their work. This runs counter agreements," said FM director of public relations Rolandas Kacinskas.

He added that they are trying to highlight the transgressions and impingements of freedoms that he finds unacceptable in terms of international law.

 "We would like to draw the attention that the constraint of the freedom of movement of ambassadors in their country of residence is unacceptable under the international law," Kacinskas, told BNS.

He reiterated the call for Russia to pull out its military units to the positions held before the armed conflict that began in Georgia on Aug. 8.