During a meeting in New York, the UN Security Council adopted on October 13 a resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) by another six months, until April 15, 2007, and calling on Georgia to exercise restraint in the wake of a crisis in relations with Russia. The Russian-sponsored resolution stated that the \"new and tense\" situation resulted in part from the July Georgian military operation in the upper Kodori Gorge and urged Tbilisi to ensure that no military forces not authorized by the 1994 cease-fire agreement be deployed to the area. The resolution also reiterated that Georgia \"address seriously legitimate Abkhaz security concerns\" and called on Georgian leaders to avoid militant rhetoric or provocative actions. It also urged the Abkhaz leadership to tackle \"the need for a dignified return of internally displaced persons and refugees\" and to publicly reassure local residents, especially in the Gali district, that their rights of residency and identity will be respected. Following the vote, Security Council members also called on UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to explore how both sides can build confidence, improve security, and reduce tension in the upper Kodori Gorge and in the districts of Gali and Zugdidi. (RFE/RL)