The Federation Council on Wednesday prolonged the mandate of the Russian peacekeepers deployed to the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone. Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 19 asked the upper parliamentary chamber to prolong the mandate. In keeping with Putin\'s proposal, the mandate was extended to June 30, 2003. Although the conflict has recently subsided, withdrawal of the Russian peacekeepers could \"derail the political settlement and fuel tension,\" the Federation Council\'s Security and Defense Committee head Viktor Ozerov said in parliament. A withdrawal may trigger a new armed clash between the conflicting sides, Ozerov said. Some 135 members of parliament voted in favor of prolonging the mandate and one deputy abstained. (Interfax)