The senior representatives of the Group of the Friends of the Secretary-General (Germany, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States) met in Geneva on 2 and 3 February 2006 to review developments in the Georgian Abkhaz peace process, goes the Sunday press release by the UN Observer Mission in Georgia.

The meeting was presided over by the United Nations Under Secretary-General for peacekeeping. Heidi Tagliavin, Special Representative of the Secretary General for Georgia also participated in it.

The Friends, together with the Georgian and Abkhaz sides, discussed the challenges in the peace process over recent months.

They underlined that the basis of their efforts was the settlement of the conflict by peaceful means and in the framework of relevant Security Council resolutions, the press release goes.

They also underscored the urgent need for tangible results in the peace process and agreed that, in addition to continuing work on confidence-building measures, including the finalization of the package of documents on non-use of force and the return of internally displaced persons and refugees there was a need to address the key political issues of the conflict.

The Friends undertook to continue to support the Special Representative in her efforts and, with this aim, to continue dialogue among themselves and with the Georgian and Abkhaz sides, the press release went on.

Source: Prime News