"The successful experience of peacekeeping operation, which was carried out under command of incumbent Defense Minister Gen. Sergei Shoigu, was further used in the settlement of other conflicts. Judging from its effectiveness this operation is viewed as one of most successful peacekeeping operations in the world, as a result of which thousands of families returned to peaceful life," the statement read.
In 1991, a military conflict erupted between Georgian forces and ethnic Ossetian militia who wanted to secede from Georgia. The conflict was frozen in 1992 by a Russian-brokered ceasefire, which established Joint Control Commission for Georgian–Ossetian Conflict Resolution (JCC) that deployed joint peacekeeping forces in the conflict zone.
In August 2008, Tbilisi withdrew from JCC and launched an offensive against South Ossetia engaging into a five-day war with Russian forces. As a result of the conflict, Moscow recognized independence of South Ossetia, with Georgia loosing control over this territory.
