UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon offered to introduce a completely demilitarized 12 kilometre security zone on each ceasefire line in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone, Vesti reported.
In a new report on activity of UN mission in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone, which was sent by UN Council of Security, Ban Ki-moon stressed that an agreement on a new security regime in area of its activity must be achieved in order to define mission's mandate. He offered to members of the Council elements of further regime for consideration.
The UN News Service said that Ban Ki-moon's offers envisage a sharp observance of ceasefire on land, in sea and on air, as well as non-use of force. UN Secretary General recommended to define security zones of 12 kilometre depth on each side of ceasefire line , where will be place free of troops and armament, excluding ten unarmed armored troop carriers. It is also necessary to install the restricted weapons zone at a depth of 12 kilometers on each side of the ceasefire line. In the areas of arms control there should be no heavy military equipment, Interfax reported.
Secretary General recommended to authorized the mission to track and monitor the security regime and maintain contacts with both sides and other relevant actors, including through a joint mechanism to prevent incidents. Ban Ki-moon believes that the mission should be asked to facilitate the free movement of local people across the ceasefire line, including through monitoring points of intersection. He recommended to power members of the mission to provide humanitarian assistance to the population, create conditions for the safe return of internally displaced persons and refugees, as well as promote the rule of law and protection of human rights. The mission should seek to strengthen contacts between the two sides, build confidence between them and the dialogue, according to the UN Secretary General.
In the new report Ban Ki-moon noted that over the past three months the situation in the mission area in terms of security remained precarious. "Tensions in the Georgian-Russian relations continue to affect the overall situation in the region," says the report. It also notes that the Georgian side continued to protest against plans for Russia to establish military bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Tbilisi called on the international community to stop the build-up of Russian military forces and to ensure that the Russian party withdrew its troops from Georgian territory, but also reverse its decision to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The report draws attention to the fact that Russian officials have repeatedly reiterated that the military bases were established on the basis of agreements with leaders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. They also claimed that the Georgian side has increased its military presence and stepped up its military activities. The presence of approximately 2,000 troops and Special Forces troops of Georgian Interior Ministry near the ceasefire line, as well as about 300 troops near the Kodori Gorge, on the side, which is controlled by Georgia, had been reported. However, the report stresses that the UN mission did not confirm reports that the presence in its area of responsibility in the Zugdidi sector.