The Russian Foreign Ministry said on September 30 that ?a draft report? of the UN Secretary General, which was circulated among the Security Council members, ?objectively confirms our [Russia?s] assessments about the reasons behind escalating tensions in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone.?
In an information note the Russian Foreign Ministry said that although an official report of the UN Secretary General will be unveiled ?in the first days of October? certain conclusions can be made from the already circulated draft report.
?One can hardly disagree with the judgments made in the report about the recent developments: ?Tensions have increased between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides, especially after the Georgian side?s special operation in upper Kodori Gorge.? The fact that the UN Observer Mission in Georgia [UNOMIG] has observed thirteen cases of violations of the Moscow agreement on cease-fire and separation of forces (1994) by the Georgian side already means a lot. [These violations] have been reflected in deploying troops, military equipment and aircraft in the zone of security,? the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The draft report also says that the Georgian side hinders the joint monitoring of upper Kodori Gorge by UN observers and Russian peacekeepers, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Georgia is against the involvement Russian peacekeepers in monitoring the gorge in breakaway Abkhazia, insisting that it be done by UN observers only.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also said that the UN Secretary General?s draft report on Abkhazia confirms that the Russian peacekeeping troops in the conflict zone play ?a stabilizing role.?
?We hope that the spirit of the UN Secretary General?s report will be reflected in the UN Security Council?s new resolution on the situation in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone, which is expected to be approved in the first half of this October,? the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
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