UN envoy meets with separatist leader in breakaway Abkhazia
June 21st, 2009 0:24
UN Secretary General`s special representative to Georgia Johan Verbeke has met with the president of the so-called Abkhaz Republic and other representatives of Sukhumi. Technical issues for withdrawal of the UN mission from Abkhazia have been agreed at the meeting. After the meeting, Sergei Bagapsh, the so-called president of the occupied Abkhazia commented the UN mission`s withdrawal from the occupied territory and said the missions name - the UN Mission in Abkhazia, Georgia - had mainly caused the blocking of the international monitors.
Reportedly, representatives of the Federal Security Service of Russia will be observing the process of the UN mission`s withdrawal. Along with the meeting of Johan Verbeke and Sergei Bagapsh, special anti-terrorist units arrived in Sukhumi from Russia. The Russian elite units will replace the so-called Abkhaz special units, who have been dismissed and disarmed for more than a month.
Along with this, provocations are being organized close to Enguri River at the administrative border between the breakaway Abkhazia region and the rest of Georgia. Mi 8 and Mi 24 Russian military helicopters flew over Georgian checkpoints in the villages of Ganmukhuri and Khurcha on Saturday.