The UN Security Council decided on Friday to extend the mandate of the UN Observer Missionin Georgia (UNOMIG) until April 15, 2007.

In a resolution unanimously adopted, the council acknowledged that a new and tense situation emerged because of the Georgian special operation in the upper Kodori Valley.

The resolution, submitted by Russia, urged the Georgian authority to ensure that no troops unauthorized by the Moscow cease-fire agreement were present in that area, to avoid any threatening action related to the Abkhaz security concerns, and to refrain from militant rhetoric and provocative actions.

Meanwhile, it urged the leadership of the Abkhaz side to facilitate the dignified, secure return of refugees and internally displaced persons, and to reassure the local population in the Gali district that their residency rights and identity will be respected.

Calling on both parties to follow up on dialogue initiatives, it further urged them to comply fully with all previous agreements regarding non-violence and confidence-building, in particular those concerning the separation of forces.

Regarding the disputed role of the peacekeepers from the Confederation of Independent States (CIS), the council stressed the importance of close, effective cooperation between UNOMIG and that force and looked to all sides to continue to extend the necessary cooperation to them.

(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2006 )