Following the War in Abkhazia (1992–1993), the Friends of Georgia, with representatives from France, the UK, the USA, Germany and Russia was set up to aid the UN Secretary General in the peace process. In May 1996, the ambassadors from the five countries met with the so called president Vladislav Ardzinba in Sukhumi to discuss options for resolving the conflict. In 1997 they resumed meetings with the Georgian and Abkhaz parties in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations, with representatives of the Russian Federation and the organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe In late 2000, the group drafted a document entitled "Basic Principles for the Distribution of Competencies between Tbilisi and Sukhumi" that defined Abkhazia as "a sovereign entity" enjoying "special status" within Georgia. In December 2004, representatives of the group met in Geneva to review the state of the Georgian-Abkhaz peace process. They stressed that the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) must continue to be in a position to fulfill its mandate unhindered.