The first group of UN peacekeepers withdrew Abkhazia and the OSCE observers away from Georgia
Posted in Main News on June 30th, 2009 by admin – Be the first to commentfirst group of UN peacekeepers on Tuesday withdrew Abkhazia. By July 15, the region will keep all observers of the international organization. Envisaged thatthe representatives of the administrative and technical services will continue to work in the region as early as two to three months, ITAR-TASS. Recall that a formal mission ceased operations June 16, 2009.
On Tuesday, the OSCE mission, 17 years in Georgia, also leaving the country. According to the newspaper Kommersant , Western countries have expressed concern that the withdrawal of the observation missions may lead to a new war in the Caucasus.
For a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN mission, the project which made the seven countries including the United States, Britain and France, at a meeting of the UN Security Council voted in ten countries, four – China, Vietnam, Libya and Uganda – abstained. Russia, with veto power, voted against .
draft resolution on a technical extension of the mandate of the UN mission in the Caucasus is actually aimed at reaffirming the territorial integrity of Georgia and the denial of the existence of Abkhazia as a state, said at the Council meeting on 15 June this year, the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN Vitaly Churkin.
On the same day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon ordered to end with the June 16 activities of the UN mission in Georgia and Abkhazia. UN Secretary General reported that he had instructed the special representative, Johan Verbeke of his on the steps to be taken in this regard. Ban Ki-moon expressed the hope that in the absence of the mission will be able to maintain peace and stability in the region.
The composition of the UN mission in the Caucasus comprised 483 people. Of these, 136 military observers, 20 United Nations police, 115 international and 210 local staff.
veto on the renewal of the mandate of the OSCE mission, which expires on 1 January 2009, Russia imposed last December at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council. read more »