S/PV.3255 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on the agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them document S/26082, which contains the text of a letter dated 14 July 1993 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to document $/26074, which contains the text of a letter dated 12 July 1993 from the Permanent Representative of Croatia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council. Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: "The Security Council is deeply concerned at the information contained in the letter of the Secretary-General of 14 July 1993 (S/26082) on the situation in and around the United Nations Protected Areas (UNPAs) in the Republic of Croatia. 1 recalls its resolutions 802 (1993) and 847 (1993) and in particular the demand in the former that all parties and others concerned comply strictly with the cease-fire arrangements already agreed and the call on them in the latter to reach an agreement on confidence-building measures. (The President) "The Security Council expresses its deep concern at the latest report on hostilities in the UNPAs, including in particular by the Krajina Serbs, and demands that these hostilities cease immediately. "The Security Council continues to attach the highest importance to securing the reopening of the Maslenica crossing to civilian traffic. In this context it reaffirms its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia. It recognizes the real and legitimate concern of the Government of the Republic of Croatia in such reopening, as set out in the letter of 12 July 1993 from the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Croatia (8/26074). It also recalls the demand in its resolution 802 (1993) that the Croatian armed forces withdraw from the areas in question. "The Security Covncil considers that the planned unilateral reopening of the Maslenica bridge and of Zemunik Airport on 18 July 1993, in the absence of agreement between the parties and others concerned in cooperation with the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), would jeopardize the objectives of the Council's resolutions and in particular the call in its resolution 847 (1993) for agreement on confidence-building measures and the efforts of the Co-Chairmen of the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia and UNPROFOR to achieve a negotiated settlement to the problem. It urges the Government of the Republic of Croatia to refrain from this action. "The Security Council expresses its support for the efforts of the Co~Chairmen and UNPROFOR and calls on the parties and others concerned to cooperate fully with them in this regard and to conclude rapidly the (The President} agreement on confidence-building measures called for in its resolution 847 (1993). It joins the Secretary-General in his call to the parties and others concerned to act in a manner conducive to the maintenance of peace and to refrain from any action which would undermine these efforts, and calls upon the parties to assure UNPROFOR's freedom of access in particular to the area surrounding the Maslenica crossing." This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol $/26084, The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda. The Security Council will remain seized of the matter. Zhe meeting rose at 5.55 p.m.