MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian forces in the Tskhinvali region cannot be considered peacekeepers and insists on an international element in the Joint Control Commission (JCC) for the Georgian-South Ossetian settlement, Georgian State Minister for Separatist Conflicts Giorgi Khaindrava said.
"Russian military units violate almost every provision of their mandate, there is no reason to say that they are peacekeepers," he told Interfax on Monday.
Neither does Tbilisi consider Russia to be a mediator in the settlement process, as Russia is "a concerned party," he said.
"We have witnessed the illegal issuing of passports, Russian currency, Russian officials heading separatist regimes and statements by official Russian representatives saying that Russian military units, officially acting as peacekeepers, protect the interests of Russian citizens in Georgia," Khaindrava said.
Bringing an international element to the JCC is "a pledge and guarantee of success," the state minister said. "The JCC's format will depend on our agreement. The current format is neither optimal nor objective," Khaindrava said.