Georgia has stepped back from its previous hard line stance and agreed to let Russian peacekeeping forces monitor Tbilisi-administered upper Kodori Gorge together with UN observers.

A statement issued by the administration of the Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues says that Tbilisi decided to carry out monitoring of the area after “taking into account the opinions of the international community and the parties involved.”

The Georgian side expressed readiness to immediately launch the relevant consultations.
 
Earlier, Tbilisi said it would only allow UN observers to monitor the gorge, without the participation of Russian peacekeepers.