SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES LIBERIA PEACE AGREEMENT

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

The Secretary-General welcomes the signing today in Accra of a comprehensive peace agreement for Liberia.  The Secretary-General thanks the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), his Special Representative for West Africa, and the United States Government for assisting the Liberian parties in reaching this agreement.  He calls on all concerned to seize this opportunity to work together to restore peace and stability in the country.  He further calls upon the international community to support the parties in that endeavour.  The United Nations is presently making every effort to assist with the overwhelming humanitarian needs of the country, and to plan for a peacekeeping operation to take over from the multinational force authorized under Security Council resolution 1497 (2003).

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