MOSCOW. July 15 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgian Ambassador to Russia Zurab Abashidze said he believes peacekeepers not only from Russia, but also from other countries should be sent to the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone.
"We should work towards changing the format of the peacekeeping forces - other countries could also be invited to take part in peacekeeping operations," Abashidze said live on Ekho Moskvy radio on Tuesday.
In particular, "Ukraine is displaying interest" in peacekeeping activities in the area, Abashidze said. "But this, of course, requires a decision by the UN Security Council," he said, adding that Tbilisi counts on Moscow to support the internationalization of peacekeeping efforts.
Asked about the demonstration flight of a NATO AWACS reconnaissance aircraft over Georgia, Abashidze said, "The apprehensions and emotions of Russia stem from the Soviet past, the Cold War era, when anything Western was treated as a threat to security."
The NATO plane's flight had nothing to do with reconnaissance activities, the ambassador said. "Georgia has not been conducting any surveillance with NATO devices, but it is defending its national interests and territorial integrity," he said.
Abashidze recommended that Russia ask NATO about all the circumstances of the AWACS flight "rather than act through Georgia."