Russia Condemns Seizure of Arms in South Ossetia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on July 7 that the ?seizure of the Russian trucks in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone is cause for concern,? Itar-Tass news agency reported.

In the early hours of July 7, Georgian peacekeepers deployed in the South Ossetian conflict zone seized nine trucks belonging to Russian peacekeepers that were loaded with arms, ammunition and uniforms. According to the Georgian side, the convoy of trucks came from russia and was en route to Tskhinvali, the capital of the breakaway South Ossetia.

?Among other agreements reached in the frames of the Joint Control Commission [quadripartite body aiming at defusing tensions in the conflict zone], the supplying of Russian peacekeepers with equipment was also agreed upon,? Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

?This is not the first time that agreements have been violated by the Georgian side,? he added.

The Russian Defense Ministry also condemned the seizure of the trucks. ?This move by the Georgian side is nothing but a provocation,? Vyacheslav Sedov, the spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry, was quoted by Itar-Tass as saying .

However, as Georgian authorities claim that unguided missiles, along with other weapons, were being transported by the trucks and can not be intended for peacekeeping purposes, as the Russian side claims.

?We have no problem with the uniforms and we will return them to the peacekeepers, but the arms will be confiscated,? Georgian Security Minister Vano Merabishvili, who arrived in the conflict zone shortly after the incident, told reporters.

Tbilisi had previously reported in June that 160-170 trucks, loaded with weapons, entered the breakaway South Ossetia through Roki pass which links Russia?s North Ossetian Republic with the neighboring South Ossetian region.

Tbilisi has also recently accused the South Ossetian authorities of distributing arms among the local population.