Russian Foreign Minister, South Ossetian Leader Meet in Moscow

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov assured South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity during the meeting in Moscow on February 2 that Russia will “protect interests of its citizens living in South Ossetia,” according to the information note issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
 
The Russian Foreign Minister and the South Ossetian leader marked the importance of implementing the peacekeeping operation in the South Ossetian conflict zone and “stressed that the Joint Peacekeeping Forces stationed there are the only guarantor of a non-resumption of hostilities between Tbilisi and Tskhinvali.”

“There is no alternative to them [Joint Peacekeeping Forces],” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The Russian Foreign Minister and South Ossetian leader also stressed that accusations made by the Georgian side towards the Russian peacekeepers, as well as provocations against them are “inadmissible.”