‘Group of Friends’ Hails Peacekeeping Troops in Abkhazia

Russian peacekeeping troops stationed in Abkhazia under the aegis of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) play a stabilizing role in the conflict zone, a high-level delegation of the Group of Friends of the UN Secretary-General announced on May 25 after conclusion visits to both Tbilisi and Sokhumi.

Members of the delegation, which held talks with Georgian and Abkhaz officials on May 23-25, included German Foreign Ministry’s Ambassador-at-Large Dr Norbert Baas, who acted as coordinator of the group, French Foreign Ministry official Frédéric Baleine du Laurens, Russian Foreign Ministry’s Ambassador-at-Large Mikhail Bocharnikov, UK Special Representative for the South Caucasus Sir Brian Fall and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza.

“The main goal for us was again to stress how much we attach importance to the major points of Security Council resolution… first of it is a commitment of all the member states of the United Nations to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Georgia… secondly to achieve lasting and comprehensive settlement of the conflict… The third important point to us is that both [the Georgian and Abkhaz sides] should make use of the existing mechanisms as they have been described in all relevant Security Council resolutions in order to come to peaceful settlement and also to comply fully with all the previous agreements,” German Ambassador Norbert Baas said at a news conference in Tbilisi.

He also reiterated the UN Security Council’s resolutions on Abkhazia in respect of the Russian peacekeeping troops.

“We believe that the CIS peacekeeping force is currently playing an important stabilizing role in the conflict zone… This was our view before the trip and it is our view after the return from Sokhumi and a stopover in Gali,” Baas said.

He said that the issue was also discussed during the meeting with UNOMIG chief military observer “and he confirmed this view equally.”

“He [UNOMIG chief military observer] also commended the cooperation with the CIS peacekeeping forces,” he added.

“All of us share all of the views that Ambassador Baas has articulated,” U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza said.

Bryza hailed the Georgian and Abkhaz sides’ willingness to discuss concrete confidence building measures.

“There is a new willingness and new enthusiasm to have a real and concrete substantive discussion and this spirit of good will gives us hope that we can begin to move the two sides towards more positive direction… We are trying to work out mutual sense of security on the both sides,” Bryza said.

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