EU suspends mission in Georgia

PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Union mission in Georgia has shut doors, said Christiana Homan, a representative of the European Commission. The measure was taken to insure safety of the mission staff, she said.



"The EU closely watches the situation in Georgia, where the opposition rally was fiercely dispersed yesterday. The Union called on all conflicting sides to avoid violence and observe the law," she said.



Other international organization also voiced concern about developments in Georgia.



"The imposition of Emergency Rule, and the closure of media outlets in Georgia, a Partner with which the Alliance has an Intensified Dialogue, are of particular concern and not in line with Euro-Atlantic values," said NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.



The Russian Foreign Ministry said "human rights are blatantly violated" in the republic. Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in Tbilisi functions in an ordinary regime. "The situation is quiet, no extra police force was engaged," an Embassy employee said.



Presently, Georgia lives under the state of emergency. Rallies and strikes are banned. The measure will be valid within 15 days, Lenta.ru reports.