Russia Backs its Peacekeepers in South Ossetia

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on June 18, in which it slammed the Georgian authorities? demand over withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping troops from the South Ossetian conflict zone. 
 
Statement says that the Russian peacekeeping troops, which represent a guarantor of peace in the conflict zone, were deployed in the breakaway South Ossetia after the agreement between Russia and Georgia in 1992.
 
Last week the Georgian side raised the issue of pullout of Russian peacekeepers from the South Ossetian conflict zone. This demand was preceded by allegations made by the Georgian side that a convoy of trucks carrying weapons entered the breakaway republic of South Ossetia from Russia.
 
However, the OSCE Mission in Georgia monitored the situation in the South Ossetian conflict zone on June 12 and ?found no evidence? of any unauthorized military vehicles in the Tskhinvali area.