Georgia Urges New Russian Peacekeeper Chief for Impartiality

Georgian Defense Minister Giorgi Baramidze met with Maj.Gen. Murat Kulakhmetov, new commander of the Russian peacekeeping troops stationed in the South Ossetian conflict zone, on September 14. 

The current situation in the breakaway South Ossetia and the issues of further cooperation within the Joint Peacekeeping Troops, which along the Russian forces also includes Georgian and Ossetian troops, were discussed during the talks.

Giorgi Baramidze told reporters after the talks that he demanded from Maj.Gen. Kulakhmetov to ?stand aside from the politics? and ?not to side with South Ossetian separatists.?