PARATROOPERS SHOULD GO BEYOND PEACEKEEPING








PSKOV, MARCH 1, 2001 /FROM RIA NOVOSTI CORRESPONDENT ALEKSANDER KONOVALOV/ -- Top brass of Russia's armed forces General Staff deems it expedient to shift airborne troops away from peacekeeping to the military targets in Chechnya and Central Asia, Commander of the Airborne Force Col.-Gen. Georgy Shpak said.


	In his words, Chief of the General Staff Anatoly Kvashnin's idea implies that the Airborne Force be fully engaged in solving the tasks of the future such as combating terrorism in Chechnya and Central Asia. The general said that handing peacekeeping activities of the Airborne Troops over to the land units of the Moscow military district is being debated in the General Staff. "The issue is merely being considered and there is no final decision so far," stressed Shpak.


	At the same time, the colonel general noted that Russia's military contingent in Kosovo would not be reduced. Our troops in Kosovo will not be decreased in the near future since the targets remain the same," said Shpak.


	The general added that this July the term of Russian peace-keepers' staying in Kosovo expires, and therefore the Federation Council will adopt a decision in June to extend for a year the Russian peace-keepers' mandate.


	As to Russian peace-keepers in Abkhazia, Georgy Shpak said that in keeping with the November 1999 Istanbul accords Russia is to liquidate its military base in Gudauta whose mainstay is the 10th airborne regiment. Part of the regiment was removed from Georgia to Russia while the remainder is highly likely to stay at the Gudauta base in accordance with the Georgian party. Besides, the Gudauta base will become a rehabilitation base for peace-keeping units," noted Georgy Shpak.