OSCE failed to agree on sending additional observers to South Ossetia after the matter was discussed at the session in Vienna on August 19, AFP and AP reported quoting Aleksi Harkonen, a representative of the Finnish chairmanship of the organization.

He said discussion would continue.

These reports also said that Russia was against of an immediate deployment of additional OSCE observers on the ground in the conflict zone.

In a statement released on August 18 the Russian Foreign Ministry said that it was in favor of deploying “significant number” of OSCE observers. The statement, however, did say nothing about the Moscow’s position on the timing of the deployment.

OSCE Finnish chairmanship has requited the member states to deploy additional 100 observers on the ground.

The OSCE Mission to Georgia has only eight unarmed military monitoring officers, who were in charge of monitoring of, and reporting on the ceasefire in the South Ossetian conflict zone. They had to pull out from the conflict zone after the hostilities resumed on August 7.

Consent of all 56 OSCE-member states, including of Russia, is required to take a decision on increasing of number of monitors.