Peter Semneby, the European Union (EU) special representative for the South Caucasus, told the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs on October 2 that he did not exclude sending peacekeepers to Georgia’s conflict zones at some point.

He, however, emphasized that this would depend on the agreement of all parties and the availability of appropriate resources within the EU.

Peter Semneby also said that the EU was not going to become a member of a commission set up by the Georgian government this summer to develop the South Ossetia’s status, but added that EU was ready to offer relevant advice and expertise. Tbilisi invited EU to participate in the work of the commission, which is chaired by Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli.

Semneby also pointed out that the EU would continue working with the secessionist authorities of South Ossetia and Abkhazia; however, he also said that the EU recognized that there were parallel authorities in the breakaway regions that are part of the Georgian executive authorities.

Tbilisi has been trying to promote the Georgian-backed South Ossetian provisional administration, led by Dimitri Sanakoev, at the expense of the de facto authorities in Tskhinvali, whom Tbilisi maintains, do not have the backing of the local population.