National Security Council Discusses Russian Peacekeepers’ Mandate

(Tbilisi February 17, 2003. Civil Georgia) – Georgian National Security Council meeting discusses the issue of the Russian peacekeepers’ mandate deployed in the Abkhazian conflict zone under the auspices of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

At the briefing today President Shevardnadze said that the peacekeepers’ mandate, which expired in January, should be extended for another six months.

“Our friends, including the United States advise us to prolong the CIS peacekeepers’ mandate,” Shevardnadze said.

“This should be the last prolongation of the CIS peacekeepers’ mandate, which should be changed in the future. We have already started to work in this regard,” Tedo Japaridze told the reporters.