Summary: April 24, 2001: Security Council Private meeting on Georgia. Statement by Ambassador Pierre Schori, Permanent Representative of Sweden on behalf of the European Union (New York)
Mr. President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Central and Eastern European Countries associated with the European Union, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the associated countries of Cyprus, Malta and Turkey align themselves with this statement.
We thank the Special Representative of the Secretary General, Mr. Dieter Boden, for his most informative briefing on the progress on the question of a political settlement. We are particularly greatful to the SRSG for enlightening us on the efforts to outline proposals on the question of the distribution of constitutional competences between Tbilisi and Sukhumi. We welcome the participation of H.E. Mr. Malkhaz Kakabadze, Minister of Special Affairs of Georgia, in this meeting.
Mr. President,
The European Union is concerned about the fact that, despite many months of consultations, the Special Representative has been precluded from presenting a paper to the parties on this issue due to the lack of agreement within the Group of Friends of the Secretary General. We urge the members of the Group to work constructively together to agree that the paper, based on Security Council resolutions, should be submitted to the parties without further delay. The European Union believes that such a
paper, which is non-prescriptive in its approach, will serve as a useful point of departure for meaningful negotiations on a political settlement between the parties.
The EU calls on both parties to the conflict to take immediate action to break the current deadlock and engage into negotiations on the core political questions of the future status of Abkhazia within the State of Georgia and other outstanding issues in the United Nations-led process. We reiterate our call on the Abkhaz side to undertake efforts in good faith in order to reach a compromise solution which respects international law and in particular the territorial integrity of Georgia.
Mr. President,
The European Union continues to pay close attention to developments in Georgia as well as in neighbouring Armenia and Azerbaijan. Following a EU Ministerial Troika visit to Southern Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia) in February, the EU has decided to investigate how to increase, in co-operation with the parties to the conflicts and international organizations, its support to the peaceful settlement of conflicts in the region.
I thank you, Mr. President.
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