The European Union has launched an official inquiry into the five-day war fought between Georgia and Russia last August, as debate continues over Tbilisi's share of responsibility for the fighting. EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels gave formal approval to the mission.
Heidi Tagliavini, a former UN special representative to Georgia, was appointed to lead the inquiry. She will assemble a team of historians, legal specialists, and human rights experts to examine the origins of the conflict, which ended under an EU-brokered ceasefire agreement.
The war began after Georgian forces moved against the breakaway region of South Ossetia, prompting a Russian military intervention Moscow said was necessary to protect its peacekeepers and citizens there. Both governments have accused the other of starting the conflict, though scrutiny has increasingly focused on Georgia's initial military action.
Russia has since recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states and stationed troops there at the request of their de facto governments. The EU has deployed 300 monitors inside Georgia, but neither breakaway territory has permitted them to enter.
The inquiry's findings are expected by 31 July 2009, though the timeline could be extended if needed. An unnamed EU spokesman said the bloc hoped Russian statements of support for the probe would translate into concrete cooperation.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in December 2008, in its own words.