SANCTIONS COMMITTEE APPROVES NATURAL GAS AND OTHER FUEL SUPPLIES TO FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA (SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO) FOR HUMANITARIAN PURPOSES
Press Release
SC/6125
SANCTIONS COMMITTEE APPROVES NATURAL GAS AND OTHER FUEL SUPPLIES TO FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA (SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO) FOR HUMANITARIAN PURPOSES
19951114 Following is the text of the statement issued today by Emilio J. Cardenas (Argentina), Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 724 (1991) concerning Yugoslavia, on behalf of the Committee members:At its 134th meeting on Friday, 10 November, the Committee considered a letter from the Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) asking the Committee to approve the supply of certain quantities of natural gas, crude oil, heating oil and liquid gas, for humanitarian purposes during the 1995-1996 heating season. The Prime Minister referred in particular to the serious humanitarian situation which has been aggravated by the recent inflow of refugees.
The Committee gave the matter careful consideration at the 134th meeting, and decided, taking into account the prevailing humanitarian conditions, to approve, on an exceptional basis, the following exports to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro):
-- 186.5 million cubic metres of natural gas per month from the Russian Federation, for an initial period of two months. The Committee will, in due course, re-evaluate this matter upon presentation by experts of a report on the distribution and use of the natural gas, to be delivered in accordance with this Committee's decision. The Committee further decided to revert to this matter, in case it is informed of interruptions or delays in the delivery of natural gas to Sarajevo for reasons other than technical. The Committee took note of the request by the Russian Federation that the payments for the gas shipments take place in the form of barter grain shipments from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) to the Russian Federation and recalled that this matter falls within the competence of the Security Council;
-- 28,500 tons per month of heating oil and 588 tons per month of liquid gas, for a period of six months, provided that both the heating oil and the liquid gas will only be delivered via the river Danube.
- 2 - Press Release SC/6125 14 November 1995
The Committee has agreed to consider with a favourable disposition any additional applications for the supply of any quantity of natural gas to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) which may be required for legitimate humanitarian needs.
The Committee's exceptional decision was prompted by humanitarian considerations. The Committee hopes that such a decision would facilitate the ongoing proximity peace talks among the parties to the conflict in the former Yugoslavia and others.
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