Moscow Tells its Peacekeepers to Show Restraint

Grigory Karasin, the Russian deputy foreign minister, told chief Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia and South Ossetia ?to show restraint and keep calm,? in the light of ?continuing provocations by the Georgian side.?

The Russian Foreign Ministry reported on October 31 that Karasin held separate telephone conversations with commanders of Russian peacekeeping forces in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Sergey Chaban and Marat Kulakhmetov, respectively.

?The commanders noted that their servicemen acted solely in frames of their mandates and their purpose was to stabilize the situation in conflict zones,? the Russian Foreign Ministry said in its press release.

The Russian Foreign Ministry?s statement follows the incident in Ganmukhuri.

Georgian senior lawmakers said that the decision has been made after consultations with the government to demand withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping troops from the Georgia?s conflict zone. Exact dates, they said, will be announced after consultations with Georgia?s western allies.

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