Secretary of the Georgian National Security Council Kote Kemularia said that the Russian peacekeepers pose a “certain threat” to Georgia.

Kemularia was commenting on an incident which occurred after a vehicle carrying Russian peacekeeping forces crashed into a car owned by a local resident in the Georgian village of Tkviavi on January 31. Tensions were sparked between the Georgian servicemen and Russian peacekeepers after the Georgian police confiscated the peacekeepers’ vehicle.

“We consider the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Georgia a certain threat. The incident which occurred yesterday proves that we are right. This will become an issue of discussion, which will take place in a few days, when the government will report to the Parliament regarding the situation [involving the Russian peacekeepers],” Kemularia told reporters on February 1.

Parliamentary hearings about the performance of the Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia will reportedly take place on February 7. It is most likely that the Parliament will instruct the government to launch procedures for the peacekeepers’ withdrawal, beginning on February 15.

Moscow has already warned that a withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers may trigger more tensions in South Ossetia.