Russian Military Official Visits Breakaway Abkhazia

(Tbilisi, February 14, Civil Georgia) – Commander of the Russian land forces Commander of the Russian land forces Gen-Let Valeri Ivnevich, who coordinates Russian Peacekeeping forces activity meets unrecognized Abkhazian authorities in Sokhumi, Abkhazian capital on February 14.

Russian military official will talk on Russian peacekeepers deployed in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict zone, under the auspices of Commonwealth of Independent States [CIS].

Gen-Let Ivnevich already held consultations on CIS peacekeeping forces with the Georgian Defense Minister Davit Tevzadze on February 12 in Tbilisi.

Georgian government agreed on prolongation of Russian peacekeepers’ mandate till June 30, 2002.

Russian military official stated on February 14, that the main goal of the peacekeeping troops in Abkhazia is to stabilize situation in the conflict zone. Russian peacekeepers do not intend to interfere in Georgia’s internal affairs, Gen-Let Ivnevich stated.