TBILISI, Georgia (AFP)--The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's mission to Georgia shut down after 17 years Tuesday, prompting Tbilisi to warn that the absence of its observers would increase security risks around the rebel South Ossetia region.

"The mission is discontinued and the mandate for the monitors has expired," OSCE mission to Georgia spokeswoman Martha Freeman told AFP.

"There is no longer a presence on the ground, but the OSCE will still be involved in security matters here," she said.

The OSCE has had a presence in Georgia since 1992, with many of its efforts focusing on conflict prevention around South Ossetia.

Before last year's Georgia-Russia war over South Ossetia, OSCE monitors patrolled in the rebel region and the group helped co-ordinate efforts to resolve the longstanding conflict.

But talks on extending the mission's mandate after the war have failed, with some OSCE members accusing Russia of impeding negotiations by insisting that South Ossetia be recognised as separate from Georgia.

Moscow recognized South Ossetia and another rebel Georgian region, Abkhazia, as independent states after the five-day war last August.

"It is extremely unfortunate that the OSCE mission has to be closed. This will worsen the security situation on the ground," Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Nalbandov told AFP.

"It is Russia's deliberate policy to deprive the international community of the possibility of knowing what is happening on the occupied territories, concerning Russia's illegal armed presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and concerning human rights violations there," he said.

Russia in mid-June also vetoed the extension of a U.N. monitoring mission that had been active in Abkhazia for 16 years, a move strongly condemned by Western countries.

A mission of about 225 monitors from the European Union, established after the war, will continue to operate near Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but the E.U. has been denied access to the rebel regions.

The OSCE mission's mandate technically expired on Jan. 1, but the group continued to operate in Georgia under an extended mandate up to June 30.

That allowed 20 unarmed military observers to monitor the situation around South Ossetia.

Despite losing its presence on the ground, the OSCE will remain a partner in foreign-backed talks in Geneva aimed at preventing another conflict in Georgia. The next round of talks in Geneva is planned for Wednesday.

The end of the OSCE mission came a day after Russia began military exercises in its North Caucasus territories, just north of Georgia, that Moscow says will involve more than 8,500 soldiers.

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