Tbilisi Slams Chief Russian Peacekeeper in South Ossetia

Statements made by Maj. Gen. Marat Kulakhmetov, Commander of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces (JPKF) stationed in the South Ossetian conflict zone, that the Georgian side is not ready for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, triggered the Georgian Foreign Ministry to respond with a strong-worded statement on January 16.

?This statement by the Commander of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces sounds increasingly irrational to the Georgian side? Regrettably, General Kulakhmetov?s statement is not his first public appearance in which he has tried to give a political appraisal to the ongoing processes in Georgia? Moreover, the Commander?s attempt to bring this issue to the foreground and put improper political accents on it casts a shadow on his impartiality and the expediency of continuing the peacekeeping operation within the existing format,? the Georgian Foreign Ministry?s statement reads.

Maj. Gen. Kulakhmetov said on January 14 that ?provocations are not ruled out against the Russian and Ossetian battalions.? The JPKF consists of servicemen from the Georgian, Russian and North Ossetian sides.

The Russian chief peacekeeper also said that JPKF protocol enables him to require a deployment of more Russian peacekeepers in the conflict zone if the situation further deteriorates.

But in their statement, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said that although the 1992 protocol does contain a respective clause on increasing the number of peacekeepers, ?it is not the Russian peacekeepers? exclusive right? to make such a decision.  According to the Georgian side, this decision can only be made at a plenary session of the Joint Control Commission and must have the consent of all sides.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian)