Moscow Protests Seizing of Russian Peacekeepers’ Goods

The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed protest regarding the recent seizure of two vehicles of the Russian peacekeeping troops, stationed in the Abkhaz conflict zone, by Georgian police on August 31.
 
Georgian police detained two vehicles and confiscated hundreds of packs of cigarettes claiming cargo were smuggled from breakaway Abkhazia into Georgian-controlled territory in Samegrelo region, neighboring with the unrecognized republic.

A statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry issued on September 2 describes the Georgian police action as ?provocation? which creates ?obstacles in functioning of the Russian Peacekeeping Troops, which perform their duties for maintaining peace and security in the conflict zone.?

?Such actions [of the Georgian side] violate the rules of free movement of the CIS peacekeepers, as well as their status, privileges and immunity, which are similar to those granted to the UN staff,? the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
 
Moscow claims that cigarettes were intended for Russian servicemen stationed at the checkpoints in Georgia?s Zugdidi district, which borders with breakaway Abkhazia.
 
?Such practice should be suspended immediately and the seized goods returned to the peacekeepers,? the statement adds.
 
A similar incident occurred in the conflict zone on August 12, when the Georgian police seized vehicle of Russian peacekeepers and confiscated 13,000 packs of cigarettes, as well as dozens of bottles of alcohol.

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