SG/SM/6508

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES RETURN TO CAMBODIA OF PRINCE NORODOM RANARIDDH

30 March 1998


Press Release
SG/SM/6508


SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES RETURN TO CAMBODIA OF PRINCE NORODOM RANARIDDH

19980330 The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary- General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General welcomes the return to Cambodia of Prince Norodom Ranariddh today after an absence of nearly nine months.

Prince Ranariddh's return to his country -- accompanied by, among others, the Secretary-General's Representative in Cambodia, Lakhan Lal Mehrotra -- is the result of many months of efforts, led by the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Troika and the Friends of Cambodia, supported by the United Nations, to help Cambodia in finding a satisfactory solution to its political crisis. It is hoped that the Prince's return will assist in the holding of free and fair elections scheduled for July.

In this regard, the Secretary-General notes that, while the return of Prince Ranariddh is a significant step forward, much work still remains to be done to ensure that the elections fully do justice both to the terms of the Paris Agreements and to the gains made during the period of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) and since.

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For information media. Not an official record.