OSCE donates dismantling equipment

TBILISI, Georgia, May 13 (UPI) -- Georgian efforts to dismantle old munitions received a boost Wednesday with an equipment donation from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Finnish Ambassador Terhi Hakala, head of the OSCE mission in Georgia, announced Wednesday the OSCE's donation of munitions-dismantling equipment to the Georgian Defense Ministry, the OSCE reported.

Hakala said the equipment, which will also safely recycle the obsolete munitions, comes from Ukraine's defense service. Officials said the equipment has been used at Georgia's Dedoplitskaro military installation since 2005 as part of an OSCE program.

"This equipment will enable the Georgian Defense Ministry to recycle TNT-filled warheads in order to deal with this environmental threat in an effective way," Hakala said in a statement.