PRESS BRIEFING BY LEADER OF SECURITY COUNCIL MISSION TO ERITREA/ETHIOPIA

PRESS BRIEFING BY LEADER OF SECURITY COUNCIL MISSION TO ERITREA/ETHIOPIA

The Security Council wished to send a clear message to the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea that it was committed to helping them build a lasting peace, correspondents were told this afternoon at Headquarters as Council members prepared to embark on a mission to the region.

Ole Peter Kolby, Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations, said participants would leave today for the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, where the whole of Friday would be spent in meetings.  Saturday, the mission would proceed to the border to participate in a ceremony on the Mereb River Bridge between Ethiopia and Eritrea.  Following the ceremony, participants would visit various points in the Temporary Security Zone established by the United Nations between the two countries.  On Sunday, there would be a full day of meetings in Asmara, Eritrea.  The mission would return to New York on Monday.

All 15 members of the Council would take part in the visit, Mr. Kolby said.  That in itself was a testimony to the importance the Council attached to the mission.  The purpose of the trip was to address the peace process between the two nations on the eve of the official border delimitation, scheduled to be delivered by the end of March.  The decision would be taken by the neutral Boundary Commission, established under the Peace Agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea and entered into by the parties in Algiers in 2000.

Since the signing of the Agreement, there had been considerable progress in the peace process, he said.  The situation in the Temporary Security Zone had remained calm.  The current moment marked a key stage in the process, because the upcoming decision by the Boundary Commission, along with its implementation, were pivotal steps towards building a comprehensive and lasting peace.

The Council mission would underline the international community's commitment to contribute to the completion of the peace process and would address the implementation of the Boundary Commission's decision, he said.  In that regard, the issue of mine clearance to prepare for the physical demarcation of the border would be taken up.  Confidence-building measures, including the release of all remaining prisoners of war and civilian internees, would also be among the subjects broached by participants.

Responding to a question, Mr. Kolby said the Boundary Commission had pushed back its decision on the border, which had been scheduled for late February, "for technical reasons".  It was very complicated work and they had simply felt that extra time was needed.

Taking up another question, he said that the leaders of both countries had put forward the view that they would accept and comply with the decision of the Boundary Commission.  That was very encouraging and was something for which the Council would express its appreciation.  Of course, it was important that nothing unilateral happened after the decision of the Boundary Commission.

In response to a question on the significance of the Mereb River ceremony, Mr. Kolby underlined the important symbolism of holding a ceremony, in the

presence of representatives of both Governments, on the border between two countries that had been at war and were trying to move forward.  The bridge was currently used by the United Nations but had not yet been opened to the public.  The Council had purposely chosen to visit the border area and the Temporary Security Zone, rather than just focusing on the two capitals.

Issues such as the scaling back of the United Nations presence in the region following the Boundary Commission decision would not be discussed during the mission, he said in response to another question.  Such practical issues, which were very pertinent, would be discussed as a part of the follow-up to the mission.

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