PRESS STATEMENT ON MIDDLE EAST, OTHER MATTERS BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Following is today’s statement to the press on the Middle East and Western Sahara by Jeremy Greenstock (United Kingdom), President of the Security Council:

Middle East

On the Middle East situation, we had a further discussion to see whether there was any progress on the draft which the Arab Group put down on Friday afternoon.  That draft did not make any further progress this morning.  There will be further corridor consultations on that.  And groups interested in that outside the Council are looking at the current situation.  If necessary, we will take it up tomorrow afternoon in informal consultations.

Other Matters

Tomorrow morning, there will be a formal meeting to hear a briefing on Kosovo from the Special Representative, Michael Steiner.  We will then follow that with informal consultations, continuing into the afternoon at 3:30 p.m. on the Middle East, if necessary, and on Western Sahara.  There are indications that the current draft on Western Sahara will need further discussion.  But I believe we can make further progress on that draft with discussion.  That leaves Wednesday on the programme to complete our business on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which needs to be settled before the end of the month, and to take action on Western Sahara, which is also necessary before the end of the month, or on the Middle East.

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