UN talks on Georgian drone futile without breakaway Abkhazia:Lavrov

Moscow, May 30 (UNI) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today said it was not advisable to carry out a UN Security Council probe into the incident of a pilotless plane downed in Abkhazia, without the participation of the representatives of the Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia.

''Clearing up the issue without Abkhazians makes no sense,'' Mr Lavrov told reporters here.

''That they are denied participation in the review (at the Security Council) again points to the impurity of the whole undertaking,'' he said.

''The downed pilotless plane is a manifestation of the crisis and the cause of the crisis is that Georgia is grossly violating its commitments. It is not the first plane sent there,'' he said, adding seven had been shot down, and ever more flew around.

''And this is over the conflict zone, which, according to the decision by the UN Security Council, should not be a zone of any military activity,'' he said.

''UN observers registered it as Georgia's violation of its commitments. It is this matter that needs clearing up. One should cure the disease, not the symptoms,'' Mr Lavrov said.

Last Wednesday, Georgia asked the UN Security Council to convene an emergency meeting to discuss an incident involving a Georgian unmanned reconnaissance aircraft in Abkhazia on April 20, which Georgia and the UN claim was shot down by Russia.

The Security Council session will take place today at the UN headquarters in New York.

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