EUHR Javier Solana to visit African Great Lakes Region and the UN

Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, will travel to the Great Lakes region on 15-16 July for meetings with the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, the Rwandan President Paul Kagamé and the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni. He will also visit the EU-led "Artemis" operation deployed in Bunia (DRC). He will then present a report on the operation to the United Nations Security Council on Friday, 18 July.

On Tuesday 15 July, in Kinshasa, the High Representative will meet with DRC President Joseph Kabila and his Vice-Presidents. He will also have a meeting with UNSG Special Representative Ambassador William Swing. Discussions will focus on EU support to stabilisation and the peace process in the region.

Javier Solana will thereafter travel to Kigali, to meet with Rwandan President Paul Kagamé.

In the evening, in Kampala, he will have discussions with President Yoweri Museveni.

On Wednesday 16 July, the High Representative will travel to Bunia (Ituri, DRC) where he will visit the EU stabilisation force (Operation Artemis). He will also meet on the spot with NGOs in charge of humanitarian support to the local population, notably in the refugee camps, as well as with the UN Mission (MONUC).

On Friday 18 July, in New York, Javier Solana is due to present a report on operation Artemis to the UN Security Council.

The European Union military operation in Bunia is conducted in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1484 of 30 May 2003, which authorises the deployment of an interim emergency multinational force in Bunia until 1 September 2003. The European military force works in close co-ordination with MONUC. It is aimed, inter alia, at contributing to the stabilisation of the security conditions and the improvement of the humanitarian situation in Bunia.

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• EUHR Javier SOLANA to report to the UNSC (16/7/2003)