United Nations, July 24 (Xinhua) The UN Security Council Thursday decided to extend its mission in Nepal by six months until January next year.

The decision was taken through a vote by the Security Council members.

The UN mission in Nepal would now remain till Jan 23, 2010.

'The peace process has stagnated to a certain degree,' the UN secretary-general's advisor on Nepal, Karin Landgren, told reporters. 'It is the Security Council's hope that the government will take the peace process forward.'

Last week, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recommended that the mandate of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) be extended after Nepal's political leaders said its presence is needed until the rehabilitation issue of Maoist soldiers is resolved.

After the abolition of monarchy and the end of civil war, Nepal has been struggling to fight anarchy, insecurity and impunity.