UNITED NATIONS, April 16 (UPI) -- In a move to maintain the current cease-fire and ensure future security, the U.N. Security Council Tuesday extended its mission in Georgia.
The 15-member body voted unanimously for the extension until Oct. 15, 2008, in an effort to continue work on establishing lasting security in Georgia. The U.N. Observer Mission in Georgia was established in 1993 to ensure compliance from Georgia and Abkhazia, whose post-Soviet area conflict remains contentious, the United Nations reported.
The security situation along the cease-fire line in the Kodori Valley has seen recent stability, according to a report from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. But Security Council officials are calling on both the Georgian and Abkhaz sides to build on the overall security in the region.
Officials urged "all parties to consider and address seriously each other's legitimate security concerns, to refrain from any acts of violence or provocation, including political action or rhetoric, and to comply fully with previous agreements regarding cease-fire and non-use of violence," the Security Council said in a statement.
