EU nations urge probe into South Ossetia conflict

By Mark John and Ingrid Melander

AVIGNON, France (Reuters) - Germany, Italy and several other European states called on Friday for an inquiry into who was to blame for last month's South Ossetia conflict, saying the outcome could shape ties with Russia and Georgia.

Separately, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said plans were "practically ready" for an EU civilian monitoring mission to Georgia which the bloc hopes will convince Russia to withdraw its forces back to pre-conflict lines in the country.

The European Union and the United States have so far held back from tough sanctions against Russia after it sent troops and tanks to crush Georgia's bid to recapture the rebel region, while condemning Moscow's reaction as disproportionate.

The West has pledged support for the territorial integrity of former Soviet Georgia, but European and some U.S. officials have expressed dismay over President Mikheil Saakashvili's attempt to solve the long-frozen conflict with military force.

"The question of who participated, and with what motives, in the escalation to armed conflict is important as we consider future ties with the conflict parties -- and I mean both Georgia and Russia," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said before an EU meeting in Avignon, France.

He said the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which has monitors in Georgia, had information about the run-up to the conflict.

Italy's Franco Frattini added his backing. "I spoke about this idea with both the Russian Federation and Georgia. Both told me they are not against. There are good possibilities to launch it," he said.

Austria and Luxembourg also supported the idea, while Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Britain had always called for verification of allegations of human rights abuses.

SARKOZY TRIP

Georgia's leaders say they sent their forces into South Ossetia -- a region recognized by nearly all foreign countries as Georgian territory -- in response to what they called repeated armed provocations by Russia and its separatist allies.

France brokered a deal to end the war last month, but Moscow has kept troops in "security zones" on Georgian territory beyond South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another rebel region.

EU leaders warned the Kremlin this week that the bloc would postpone talks due this month on a new EU-Russia partnership pact, but avoided tougher sanctions amid internal divisions on how to deal with Europe's largest energy supplier.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy will travel to Moscow on Monday to discuss with President Dmitry Medvedev whether Russia is ready to stick to the French-brokered peace plan which the West says does not allow for buffer zones.

EU ministers will discuss the civilian monitoring mission on Saturday, aiming to put several hundred on the ground as soon as possible. "This is practically ready ... The only thing is to see when, how, at what moment and under what mandate, and that point will be decided after Monday," Solana told reporters.

A French diplomat said the plan was to start deploying the first elements of a 200-strong force from October, initially in Georgia proper but moving progressively into South Ossetia.