S.Ossetia Protests Rotation of Georgian Peacekeepers

The South Ossetian sides condemned the rotation of the Georgian peacekeeping troops in the conflict zone, which was launched on May 28, and said that the Joint Control Commission (JCC) was not notified in advance about the rotation, as is envisaged by agreements.

In February, Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli announced that starting from spring Georgia would rotate its peacekeepers in the conflict zone once every three months.

The South Ossetian Press and Information Committee reported on May 29 that the Georgian troops are deployed on the “Tamarasheni-Kekhvi section of the strategic Trans Caucasus Highway” under the pretext of rotating.
 
The Georgian peacekeeping troops are part of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces (JPKF), which also consists of Russian and Ossetian troops.

The Russian side also launched a rotation of its peacekeepers on May 29 – a process which will last for four days, according to the Interfax news agency.