Chief Peacekeeper: Unanimous Decision Needed to Cease JPKF

Maj. Gen. Marat Kulakhmetov, the Commander of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces (JPKF) stationed in the South Ossetian conflict zone, said that the JPKF can cease its activities only after a joint decision is made by all the parties involved in the conflict, the Russian Interfax news agency reported on February 6.

“The mandate of the peacekeeping forces can be only be suspended in the event of a political decision [taken] by all the parties involved. In the event of a unilateral decision, the JPKF will continue to fulfill its duties as envisaged by the mandate,” Interfax quoted Maj. Gen. Kulakhmetov as saying.