Russia has blocked the extension of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia and Abkhazia.

Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution extending the mandate of UN Observer Mission in Georgia and Abkhazia, RIA Novosti reported. Voting on the draft resolution passed at a meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday, June 15, evening (early morning of June 16, Moscow time). 10 out of 15 countries-members of the UN Security Council supported the extension of the mandate of the observer mission. Four members of the Security Council abstained.

The current mandate of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia and Abkhazia will expire at 00:00 on 16 June (08:00 Moscow time). Since then, the UN observers should begin work on the cuts in its activities.

Earlier Monday, Russia's permanent representatives in the UN Vitaly Churkin made it clear that Russia will use the veto if the draft resolution on the extension of the observer mission will be put to a vote in the form in which it was submitted to the Security Council. Russia, it was reported then, does not agree with the name of the mission and some other language, supporting Georgia's territorial integrity.

In mid-May 2009 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon presented his report on the situation in Transcaucasia, on the future activities of UN observers in the region. The paper was entitled "Report of the Secretary-General submitted in accordance with Security Council resolutions 1808, 1839 and 1866." Previously, all reports on this topic called "About the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia." Russia, acknowledged in August 2008, the independence of Abkhazia, this language does not suit you.
Following the report, Ban Ki-moon at the UN postpred Georgia Alexander Lomaia said that the title of the document and its contents have been changed under pressure from Russia, threatening the right of veto when addressing the issue of extending the UN observer mission in the region.
And Vitaly Churkin, and Ban Ki-Moon statement postpreda of Georgia at the UN flatly denied. Churkin said then that Russia "does not threaten any veto, but merely expressed its views on any aspects of its content or the title." UN Secretary General, in turn, said that the title of the report was intended to "take into account the positions of all parties and to avoid unnecessary controversy in the debate in the UN Security Council."