13:56, 16 June 2004

Georgia wants mandate of peacekeeping forces in South Osetia to be changed

The Georgian side intends to bring up the question of reviewing borders of the zone of the Georgian-Osetian conflict and changing the mandate of peacekeeping forces within the framework of the Combined Control Commission to Settle the Georgian-Osetian conflict. Georgian State Minister Georgy Khaindrava told it a briefing in Tbilisi on June 15.

The minister believes the zone controlled by the Combined Peacekeeping Forces should be reviewed since "today Russian peacekeepers refuse in fact to fulfill duties they are commissioned with."

In particular, Mr Khaindrava referred to information he had about the refusal of Russian peacekeepers to come at the instance of the Georgian side the night before to the villages of Eredvi and Prisi, where a large subdivision of Osetian armed units was allegedly moving.

"We have to declare that if the course of Russian peacekeepers remains the same, we are ready to take responsibility for carrying out the peacekeeping operation," Georgy Khaindrava said.

Source: Interfax News Agency