UN Secretary General recommended to extend the UN Mission's observation mandate in Georgia

Cofi Annan, UN Secretary General, thinks that today it is difficult to settle the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict through negotiations, since in the course of years the positions of both parties on political status of Abkhazia diverged even more. However, there is no alternative to the dialogue. A resume of violence may result in most dreadful consequences for the parties and for stability in the region and beyond.

These are the findings of the latest report of Secretary General Cofi Annan on the situation in Abkhazia and Georgia published in the UN web-site, where he recommended extending the UN Mission's observation mandate in Georgia for another six months - till April 15, 2007.

"The recent developments in the conflict zone between the Georgian and Abkhazian parties and in the Tskhinvali District of South Ossetia have brightly highlighted the threats that continue to appear as a result of the so-called "frozen conflicts" in Georgia," - the report runs.

The Secretary General called up the parties in the conflict to exhibit self-restraint strictly observe their obligations under the Moscow Agreement on ceasefire and separation of forces, and under other agreements signed by both parties.

The Secretary General expressed his hope that the Security Council, the Group of Secretary General's Friends and the international community as a whole "will take the failures of the last three months as a stimulus towards uniting the efforts in support of the process capable to rebirth hope on both sides of the ceasefire line."

The mandate of the UN Mission for Observations in Georgia (UNMOG) expires on October 15, 2006. In their Resolution, unanimously adopted on March 31, 2006, at the Security Council, the Council members reiterated their adherence to the principles of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders.

As of August 31, 2006, the UN mission deployed in the conflict zone since 1994 employs 121 military observers and 12 employees of the civil police component.

The "Caucasian Knot" informed earlier that starting July 25 this year, the official Tbilisi has deployed the military units of the Ministry of Defence in the upper section of the Codori Gorge, which is under the control of Georgian authorities. And the other day, under the order of Mikhail Saakashvili, president of Georgia, the upper part of the Codori Gorge was named the Upper Abkhazia.

Since then, the Georgian-Abkhazian talks have been at a deadlock. The sitting of the Coordination Board, scheduled on August 2, was not held. So far, the dialogue was maintained at the level of weekly four-side meetings of administration heads and commanders of law enforcement structures of the Galskiy (Abkhazia) and Zugdidskiy (Georgia) Districts. At these meetings, the parties confined themselves to mutual charges and reproaches, and no decisions were made.

Since then, the Georgian-Abkhazian talks have come to a full stop. The sitting of the Coordination Board, scheduled on August 2, was not held. So far, the dialogue was maintained at the level of weekly four-side meetings of administration heads and commanders of law enforcement structures of the Galskiy (Abkhazia) and Zugdidskiy (Georgia) Districts. At these meetings, the parties confined themselves to mutual charges and reproaches, and no decisions were made. A summit was held only once - on September 9 in Sukhumi under mediation of Jean Arnot, special representative of the UN General Secretary.