S/PV.3345 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on the agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them document S/1994/251, which contains the text of a draft resolution prepared in the course of the Council’s prior consultations. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to the following documents: S/1994/125, letter dated 4 February 1994 from the representatives of Georgia and the Russian Federation addressed to the Secretary- General; S/1994/149 and S/1994/225, letters dated 9 and 24 February 1994, respectively, from the Permanent Representative of Georgia addressed to the Secretary- General; and S/1994/234, letter dated 28 February 1994 from the Permanent Representative of Georgia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. If I hear no objection, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. There being no objection, it is so decided.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 901 (1994).

Briefly, while we must continue to recognize that the Security Council cannot move ahead of the Georgians and Abkhaz themselves in efforts towards a political solution to this conflict, the regrettable truth is that, to date, the parties have not made sufficient progress towards a settlement. It is therefore critical for them to move now, before events on the ground deteriorate. Accordingly, we again call on the parties to the dispute to demonstrate a stronger willingness to work towards a comprehensive political settlement. At the same time, my Government commits itself to redoubling its own efforts within the Council to explore promising ways and means to support and guide the parties’ work. In so doing, we will need to remain focused on the principles outlined in resolution 896 (1994), which we have agreed must guide this process.

The Russian Federation is most seriously worried by the continuing absence of a settlement to the Abkhaz conflict. The Russian Federation attaches great importance to progress in the negotiating process, and in particular to attaining an agreement on the status of Abkhazia that fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia. We are extending active assistance as contributing party to the efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special Envoy, in cooperation with the acting Chairman of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, to advance the process towards a comprehensive political settlement of the conflict. At the same time, the Government of the Russian Federation is firm in its conviction that in order to add momentum to the peace process and make it durable and, in the final analysis, irreversible, peacemaking forces must be deployed without delay throughout Abkhazia, Republic of Georgia. We hope that, after renewed consideration of this issues, the Security Council will be in a position to adopt the necessary decision.

At this point, I shall deliver a statement in my capacity as representative of France. Our Council has just adopted a resolution that extends the current mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia until 31 March. The resolution is essentially a The negotiations between the representatives of Georgia and the Abkhaz side, which will resume in New York this Monday, are now entering into a decisive phase. My Government therefore urgently calls on the parties to act in such a way as to make the kind of progress that will allow the Security council, as the resolution indicates, to adopt the necessary peace-keeping measures to settle the conflict in Abkhazia, Republic of Georgia. There are no further speakers. In accordance with the understanding reached in prior consultations, the time of the next meeting of the Security Council to continue the consideration of the item on its agenda will be decided in consultation with the members of the Council.