MOSCOW, September 2 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow is demanding that Georgia immediately end provocations targeting peacekeepers and return cargo that has been detained, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday.
On August 31, Georgia stopped and detained peacekeepers' vehicles delivering cargo to the personnel with the Collective Peacekeeping Forces in the zone of the conflict between Georgia and the self-proclaimed republic of Abkhazia. The vehicles were only released after the CPF command intervened, but some cargo was not returned.
"Moscow protests against the provocations made by the Georgian side, which created obstacles for the Collective Peacekeeping Forces fulfilling the important task of maintaining peace and security in the conflict zone. Such actions must come to an end and the detained cargo must be immediately returned to the peacemakers," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Foreign Ministry said that was the Georgian authorities' second such action in August.
"Such actions violate the right of the CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] peacekeepers to freedom of movement, their status, privileges and immunity, which are similar to those given to UN personnel when operations are conducted to maintain peace, as well as the right to bring in equipment, food, supply items and other goods without restrictions," the ministry said.
The ministry said Georgia had signed the relevant resolutions of the CIS Council of Heads of State on the CPF in 1994 and 1996.
