Russian peacekeepers to remain in Georgian-Abkhazian conflict zone

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a letter to Speaker of the Federation Council (the upper house of Russian parliament) Sergei Mironov, in which he proposed that the Federation Council extend the mandate of the Russian collective peacekeepers in the zone of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, reported the press service of the Russian president.

"Taking into account the role and interest of the Russian Federation in settling the conflict, I believe it expedient to extend the mandate of the Russian peacekeeping contingent (with the numerical strength of up to 3,000) in the zone of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict until one of the conflicting sides comes out for stopping the operation," the letter says.