TBILISI. Nov 12 (Interfax-AVN) - The UN opposes the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict zone operating at the site from 1994, Georgian Minister without Portfolio Malkhaz Kakabadze told Interfax-Military News Agency commenting on results of a four-day visit of UN Under- Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guehenno that ended on Tuesday.
If Russian peacekeepers are withdrawn from the territory a mandate for over 100 UN military observers will automatically end, Kakabadze said.
Until a mandate of the collective peacekeeping forces in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict zone expires Georgia will continue consultations, in particular, on the extension of the forces' area of responsibility on the whole Gali district in order to provide the safe return of refugees.
He stressed that Guehenno was informed on the dissatisfaction of the Georgian party with the current policy of the forces.
"But so far current circumstances do not allow Georgia to demand the immediate withdrawal of peacekeepers from the conflict zone for it will be followed by the withdrawal of UN military observers," Kakabadze added.