PRESS STATEMENT ON ERITREA-ETHIOPIA BOUNDARY COMMISSION DECISION BY PRESIDENT OF SECURITY COUNCIL

PRESS STATEMENT ON ERITREA-ETHIOPIA BOUNDARY COMMISSION DECISION

by President of Security Council

Following is the text of today's press statement by Sergey Lavrov (Russian Federation), President of the Security Council, on the decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission:

Members of the Security Council have heard the briefing of the Secretary-General and his Special Representative, Legwaila Joseph Legwaila.  They welcome the decision by the Boundary Commission, announced in The Hague on 13 April 2002, as expressed in the press release issued on the same day.

Members of the Security Council commend the commitment of Ethiopia and Eritrea to accept the decision of the Commission as final and binding. 

Members of the Security Council express their high appreciation of the role played by the Special Representative, the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) and the United Nations in achieving such an outcome.  They call on the parties to closely cooperate with the Boundary Commission and UNMEE in the implementation without delay of the border decision and all aspects of the demarcation process, including demining.

Members of the Security Council invite both Governments to make further steps to strengthen the climate of reconciliation between the two countries and to address the remaining issues, including the release of prisoners-of-war.  They also call on the parties to provide full freedom of movement to UNMEE and to facilitate the establishment of a direct route for UNMEE between Asmara and Addis Ababa.

Members of the Security Council underline their commitment to continue to contribute to the peace process, and call on the international community to provide necessary resources to support this process and the work of UNMEE.

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