Annan welcomes some positive developments in Abkhazia, Georgia

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued a report today welcoming some positive developments in the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia.

In his latest report to the Security Council, Mr. Annan says the presence of both the Georgian and Abkhaz sides in a United Nations-chaired brainstorming session in July showed they had made a step forward this year.

But he says the core political issue - the future status of Abkhazia within the State of Georgia - has not been tackled yet in any meaningful way. He urges both sides, especially the Abkhaz side, to start discussing the central issues.

Mr. Annan says the security of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) staff also remains of serious concern.

The Secretary-General's Special Representative for Georgia is Heidi Tagliavini. UNOMIG, headed by Major General Kazi Ashfaq Ahmed of Bangladesh, has 117 military observers in place to monitor implementation of the ceasefire agreement between the two parties and observe the operation of a peacekeeping force from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) that is monitoring compliance with the accord.