S/PV.3279 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Georgia, in which he requests to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion, without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Chkheidze (Georgia) took a place at the Council table.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in response to the request contained in a letter dated 17 September 1993 from the Permanent Representative of Georgia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council, document S/26462. 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 expresses its extreme concern at the outbreak of fighting in Abkhazia, Republic of Georgia, arising from the attacks by the Abkhaz forces on the towns of Sukhumi and Ochamchira. "The Council strongly condemns this grave violation by the Abkhaz side of the Sochi cease-fire agreement of 27 July 1993, which was mediated by the Russian Federation and welcomed by the Security Council in resolutions 854 (1993) of 6 August 1993 and 858 (1993) of 24 August 1993. "The Council demands that the Abkhaz leadership end immediately the hostilities and promptly withdraw all its forces to the cease-fire lines agreed upon in Sochi on 27 July 1993. Failure to take such action can entail the risk of serious consequences. "The Council urges all countries to encourage the re-establishment of the cease-fire and the resumption of the peace process. "The Council expresses its strong desire to see the Abkhaz side enter fully into the peace process without further delay. "The Council notes the oral report of the Secretary-General on 17 September 1993 regarding the situation in Abkhazia, Republic of Georgia, and welcomes his intention to send his Special Envoy for Georgia to Moscow and to the area to assess the situation and to establish a way forward to a peaceful settlement to the dispute. "The Council looks forward to receiving the Secretary-General’s report at an early date." This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/26463. The Security Council has concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda. The meeting rose at 6.55 p.m.