SECRETARY-GENERAL ALARMED BY POSSIBILITY OF MILITARY COUP D’ETAT IN FIJI;

STRESSES PERSISTENT CRISIS COULD DAMAGE COUNTRY’S INTERNATIONAL STANDING

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

The Secretary-General is alarmed by the continued possibility of a military coup d’état against the legitimate Government of the Republic of Fiji Islands.  He encourages the parties to continue their search for a peaceful reconciliation of their differences within the constitutional framework.

The Secretary-General also wishes to stress that further prolongation of the crisis may damage Fiji’s international standing, which it has built carefully over the years, as an important contributor to United Nations peacekeeping operations and more recently as a member of the Peacebuilding Commission.

The Secretary-General stands ready to complement national and regional efforts aimed at overcoming the crisis through dialogue.

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For information media • not an official record