03.06 NATO Disturbed by S.Ossetia Border Fences
TBILISI, June 3 (RIA Novosti) - NATO is concerned by the situation on the Georgia-South Ossetia border, where Russian forces put up wire fences along the border last week, NATO's envoy for the South Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai said on Monday.
Georgia protested last Monday over the setting up of barbed wire fence by Russian border forces along its border with the disputed region of South Ossetia.
The building of illegal dividing structures is a violation of existing agreements and impedes the free movement of people, Appathurai said.
Last Wednesday, EU observers condemned construction of barbed wire fences on the administrative border between Georgia and South Ossetia as unacceptable, and said it may destabilize the situation in the region.
Russias Foreign Ministry released a letter on Monday condemning what is said were attempts to stoke up the situation on the border between South Ossetia and Georgia with an eye to the election campaign in Georgia, and shifting the blame to Russia.
Under an interstate agreement with Russia signed on April 30, 2009, South Ossetia delegated its state border protection functions to Russia until the republic establishes its own border guard service. South Ossetias border with Georgia is about 210 miles (350 km) long.
