CIS Peacekeepers’ Mandate Expired

(Tbilisi. December 31. Civil Georgia) – Mandate of the Russian peacekeepers deployed in Georgian-Abkhazian conflict zone under the auspices of the Commonwealth of Independent States expired on December 31, 2001. From this date Russian peacekeeping lack the legal status for carrying out their duties.

According to the resolution passed by the Georgian Parliament on October 12, 2001 further presence of the Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia is regarded inappropriate.

Despite the Parliament’s resolution President Shevardnadze stated on November 30, after the meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that he is not for hastening Russian peacekeepers’ withdrawal any more, although Eduard Shevardnadze supported the Parliamentary resolution before.

Georgian Foreign Minister Irakli Menagarishvili stated on December 17 that Georgia holds consultations on providing military personell for continuing the peacekeeping operations in Abkhazia with several countries, including Russia.

Russian peacekeepers are deployed across the border of Abkhazia and the rest of Georgia since mid-1994.