TBILISI. Jan 29 (Interfax-AVN) - Dieter Boden, special envoy of the UN secretary general to Georgia, said that military action may resume in Abkhazia this spring.
This risk can well be ruled out if Georgia and Abkhazia negotiate, he said.
Boden believes that the Georgian-Abkhaz protocol, under which UN forces will patrol the upper area of the Kodori Gorge starting from February 1 and Georgian army units will begin to be gradually withdrawn from there, makes it possible to hope that trust will be strengthened.
The envoy told reporters on Tuesday that the protocol includes provisions abiding the Abkhaz party to abstain from military actions in the upper areas of the gorge and permit checks of its military potential in the vicinity of the town of Tkvarcheli.
The protocol provides solid security guarantees to residents of the Kodori gorge, especially given that it is signed by a UN representative," Boden said.
According to him, operations of UN military observers in the upper area of the gorge should strengthen the trust of local residents.