Russia Reiterates ‘Firm Position’ on Peacekeepers

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the recent “exchange of views” between Russian and Georgian diplomats over the Abkhaz and South Ossetian conflicts has “reflected current difficulties persisting in bilateral relations.”

In an information note issued on April 18 the Russian Foreign Ministry said that during a meeting between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin and his Georgian counterpart Merab Antadze and Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili in Tbilisi on April 17 the Russian official reiterated the “necessity to consecutively move” towards a resolution of the Abkhaz and South Ossetian conflicts “in frames of already existing formats, which have proved themselves effective, without unilateral initiatives which might pose a threat of throwing the peace process many years back.”

“The Russian side has also firmly stated that the difficult mission of the Russian peacekeepers in the conflict zones requires a respectful attitude. Any kind of attempt to question the effectiveness of their mission, including under the pretext of changing their status, can not be accepted,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

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