SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS GEORGIAN/ABKHAZ TALKS SHOULD MARK CONTINUOUS PROCESS OF CONTACT, EXCHANGE AND NEGOTIATION, AS PARTIES MEET IN GENEVA
Press Release
SG/SM/6289
SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS GEORGIAN/ABKHAZ TALKS SHOULD MARK CONTINUOUS PROCESS OF CONTACT, EXCHANGE AND NEGOTIATION, AS PARTIES MEET IN GENEVA
19970723 Following is the message of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, delivered by his Special Envoy for Georgia, Liviu Bota, at the opening of the Georgian/Abkhaz talks, in Geneva today:I extend to you all a warm welcome to these talks between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides under the chairmanship of my Special Envoy, Liviu Bota.
The United Nations has been involved in the Georgian/Abkhaz peace process for four years and has been physically present on the ground with military observers since August 1993, joined later by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) peace-keeping force. While the military situation in the area has remained relatively stable, there has been little progress in finding a lasting political settlement. Far too many people have been unable to return to their homes. The economy is stagnant. Reconstruction cannot take place. It has not been possible for normal social and economic life to be resumed.
In May of this year the Security Council expressed the wish to see a more active role in the peace process by the United Nations. I have been heartened to see that the two sides have been in direct bilateral contact in recent months and I urge those contacts to continue and increase. There have also been intensive efforts by the Russian Federation, in its role as facilitator, to help the two sides to achieve an agreement on a draft protocol contributing to a Georgian/Abkhaz settlement. I wish to applaud the efforts of the Russian Federation in search of a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
It is in order to sustain these positive developments, and to reinvigorate the role of the United Nations in the peace process, that I have decided to convene this meeting. The goals of these talks under United Nations auspices are to map out areas where concrete political progress can be made, particularly on practical issues, and to re-establish a process of continuing work towards achieving the final goal of a comprehensive political settlement. My Special Envoy, Liviu Bota, will have a number of suggestions for your consideration.
The primary responsibility for resolving the differences and finding a lasting political settlement rests with the two sides. Assistance, in the form of ideas, suggestions, technical and humanitarian help, economic support
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and the presence of the CIS peace-keeping force and the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) can come from others in the international community, but it is up to the two parties themselves to develop direct dialogue and to make the necessary compromises to achieve a lasting settlement. During this process, it is essential that the two sides maintain their commitment, which they gave in December 1993 and have since reaffirmed, on a number of occasions, to the non-use of force or threat of the use of force against each other. In this context, the continuing deterioration of the security conditions in the Gali region, the acts of violence by armed groups and the laying of mines give rise to mounting concern for the safety of all who live or have to work in that area.
I wish to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the soldiers of the CIS peace-keeping force and of UNOMIG, without whose presence even the present tense stability could not have been maintained. I would also like to commend the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) with whom the United Nations has developed bonds of close cooperation. Finally, I welcome the presence and involvement of the "Friends of the Secretary-General on Georgia" who have been helpful and supportive of my efforts. Their presence here is testimony to the importance attached by the international community to these deliberations, and I know that they stand ready to give further valuable assistance in the pursuit of a comprehensive and lasting settlement.
I should like to emphasize that these talks should mark a continuous process of contact, exchange and negotiation to resolve this painful conflict. My Special Envoy and all the United Nations personnel in the field will spare no effort to help the two parties to achieve a comprehensive and lasting settlement. I extend to you all my sincere wishes for success in your endeavours.
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