TBILISI. Jan 24 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian Defense Ministry has made public its readiness for constructive cooperation with Major General Stanislav Nabzdorov, the new commander of the Mixed Peacekeeping Forces in the Georgian- Ossetian conflict zone.
"We have had no meetings with the commander yet, but there is readiness to cooperate with him, given that vast experience in interaction has been collected for the decade of the peacekeepers' stationing in the conflict zone," Deputy Defense Minister Gela Bezhuashvili told Interfax-Military News Agency on Friday.
At the same time, the Defense Ministry is "processing" media reports on the concentration of heavy ordnance near Tskhinvali. Some reports claim the vehicles belong to South Ossetia, while others say it is operated by the peacekeepers.
Bezhuashvili declined to comment on South Ossetia's statements that it will establish strong armed forces this year, saying that the statements "are not worth commenting on."
"Tbilisi supports peaceful settlement of the Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-Ossetian conflicts," Bezhuashvili noted.
The Mixed Peacekeeping Forces in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone consist of a Russian, a Georgian and an Ossetian battalions stationed in the conflict zone since 1992.