Burjanadze Condemns South Ossetian Military Parade
Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze condemned a military parade in the breakaway South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali on September 20, which marked the unrecognized republic?s independence day, as a ?celebration of illegality? and criticized the Russian peacekeepers stationed in the conflict zone for ?inactivity.?
?A military parade in Tskhinvali was a violation of all agreements, which have been signed since 1992 – it was celebration of illegality, humiliation of the world community and ignorance of the peacekeeping forces,? Nino Burjanadze said at a news conference on September 20.
The Georgian television stations broadcasted footage of the military parade, showing tanks and armored vehicles marching on Tskhinvali?s main avenue. A ceasefire agreement bans the deployment of military hardware in the conflict zone, which also includes Tskhinvali.
On September 19, Nino Burjanadze instructed the parliamentary committees for foreign relations and defense and security to develop a draft decree on the role and activities of the Russian peacekeeping troops in the conflict zones. The Parliament will apparently discuss the decree at a plenary session on September 27-30.
In an interview with RIA Novosti news agency on September 20 Russian Foreign Minister?s special envoy Vladimir Kenyaikin, who is Russia?s chief negotiator over South Ossetian issues, admitted that ?there are elements of violation? of the ceasefire agreement in presence of military hardware in Tskhinvali, but added that the South Ossetian side informed all the parties about their intention to deploy 4 tanks and 4 armored vehicles in Tskhinvali in advance.
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