UN extends Abkhazia mission until June

[bemildred]

Source: AFP

The Security Council voted unanimously Friday to extend the mandate of the UN mission in Georgia for four months pending security arrangements in breakaway Abkhazia to be worked out by Moscow and Tbilisi.

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"We are looking forward to working closely with our friends as well as with the UN to come up with a comprehensive full-scale operation on the ground which will help peacekeeping and monitoring," Georgia's UN envoy Alexander Lomaia told reporters.

His Russian counterpart Vitaly Churkin said the resolution highlighted the need for Georgia "to respect the principle of non-use of force" enshrined in the 1994 Moscow accord on a ceasefire and separation of forces.

"This is a fundamental issue ... Georgia is continuing to refuse to sign legally binding agreements with Abkhazia and South Ossetia on non-use of force and this is an important destabilizing element in the situation in the area," he added.

Read more: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20090213/twl-un-extends-abkhazia-mission-until-ju-6d10327.html

[ohio2007]

1. They are going to observe Russia continue its build up in Abkhazia

and then leave

:sarcasm:

;)

[bemildred]

2. Last year's war, how soon we forget, is what I was thinking. nt