Russia will protect its citizens and peacekeepers in Abkhazia and South Ossetia ?by all available means,? Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview published by the Russian daily Kommersant on July 20.
?So I do not recommend anyone to encroach on life and dignity of our citizens and our peacekeepers,? Lavrov said.
?The Georgian side is recently sabotaging work of those mechanisms, which were set up for resolution of the South Ossetian and Abkhaz conflicts. [Tbilisi] is also sabotaging those agreements in which Georgia itself is participating. [The Georgian side] is refusing to sign OSCE-proposed agreement on non-resumption of hostilities in South Ossetia, as well as [is refusing to sign] a similar agreement in respect of Abkhazia. [Tbilisi] is refusing to resume return of refugees in Abkhazia, although procedures proposed by the UNHCR are already known and are ready. Escalation of tensions in respect of the peacekeeping troops is another source of our deep concern. Apart of those two incidents involving detention of our embassy?s car with our diplomats in it, a Russian peacekeeper was injured as a result of mine explosion. Mines appeared there just recently from the Georgian side,? the Russian Foreign Minister said.
?There are too many facts which trigger suspicion that some kind of forceful actions are being prepared in South Ossetia.?
He said that the Georgian Parliament?s demand to withdraw Russian peacekeeping troops from the conflict zones ?is part of one chain? and is an attempt to fuel tensions.
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