Georgian Security Chief Speaks of Russia’s Role in Conflicts

Secretary of Georgian National Security Council Gela Bezhuashvili said, in an interview with the Russian newspaper “Novie Izvestia” published on September 5, that Russia, which acts as a mediator in the Abkhaz and South Ossetian conflict resolution processes, is ?now interested to freeze the conflicts.? He also said that the mandate of Russian peacekeeping troops stationed in the conflict zones ?has been outdated.?

?Georgia is interested in involving Russia in a positive solution of the conflicts. But, currently, Russia has several functions and these functions contradict each other. The function of a mediator in the negotiation process envisages objectivity, but a mediator which has interests in Abkhazia and South Ossetia can not be effective. These interests are not necessarily representing the State. These interests are [representing] many groups, which, it seems, are not controlled,? Gela Bezhuashvili said.

He said that the current mandate of the Russian peacekeeping forces has been outdated and needs to be amended.

?The peacekeepers have actually turned into border guards, protecting administrative borders, while they should contribute to peace process, resolution of the conflicts, which does not happen. This does not happen – not because there are bad officers or soldiers, but because the political foundation of the mission, as well as the mandate has been outdated? In Abkhazia, peacekeepers act under the auspices of the CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] and in South Ossetia ? under the so called, which is absolutely incomprehensible for me, “three-partite commission,” where peacekeeping forces are represented from Russian, North Ossetian – as if North Ossetia itself is not Russia -and Georgian peacekeepers. It is apparent that the power balance here is not in our favor,? Bezhuashvili said.

?Moreover, the Russian peacekeepers not only fail to help in solving the conflicts, they are directly involved in smuggling, do not react to abduction cases which occur [in the conflict zones] almost every week. If no drastic measures are taken and the situation is not changed, we will insist on changing the mandate [and] structure of the peacekeeping contingent,? Bezhuashvili added.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)