UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) said on May 8 that to date its monitors have “not reported any buildup of security forces” either in Kodori Gorge, or at the administrative Abkhaz border by either sides.

As far as recent increase of level of Russian peacekeeping troops stationed in the conflict zone under the CIS aegis is concerned, UNOMIG said it was seeking addition information from the Russian peacekeeping force “on their perception of the current threats to the ceasefire regime and how the strengthening of the CIS PKF [Peacekeeping Force] both in personnel and weapons meets those threats.”

In a press release UNOMIG also responded to a press statement made by the Russian Ministry of Defense, which said on May 8 that “the Chief Military Observer of the Mission Major-General Khattak agreed that actions by the Russian side do not contradict basic agreements on the conduct of the peacekeeping operation.”

“UNOMIG clarifies that it has no authority to pronounce on the conformity between the CIS peacekeeping operation in the Zone of the Georgian-Abkhaz Conflict and CIS rules,” the mission said.