Russia Rotates Peacekeepers in Abkhazia

Russia rotated its troops stationed in the Abkhaz conflict zone under the aegis of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on December 19, Itar-Tass news agency reported.

A Samara peacekeeping battalion, including over 500 servicemen from the 15th motorized infantry brigade, arrived in Abkhazia on Sunday.

The peacekeeping battalion, which passed a brief course of lectures prior to their assignment to the conflict zone, will control the checkpoints in the Abkhaz conflict zone.

This rotation of Russian peacekeepers was preceded by Tbilisi?s protest regarding the controversial footage broadcasted by the Russian TV company NTV.

The story broadcasted by Russian NTV was about the rotation of Russian peacekeepers in breakaway Abkhazia. A Russian peacekeeper said in the story that during a brief course of lectures given to peacekeepers they were told that Abkhazia was always an independent state and was only integrated into Georgia within 30-40 years.

Official Tbilisi has already called into question the impartiality of the Russian side acting as a mediator in the peace process.

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