S/PV.3560 Security Council

I should like at the outset of this meeting to extend, on behalf of the Council, a warm welcome to the new Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations, His Excellency Sir John Weston. We look forward to cooperating with him in the work of the Council. Expression of thanks to the retiring President

As this is the first meeting of the Security Council for the month of August, I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute, on behalf of the Council, to his Excellency Mr. Gerardo Martínez Blanco, Representative of Honduras to the United Nations, for his service as President of the Security Council for the month of July 1995. I am sure I speak for all members of the Security Council in expressing deep appreciation to Ambassador Martínez Blanco for the great diplomatic skill with which he conducted the Council’s business last month. Adoption of the agenda

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Croatia 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.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. 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 deterioration in the situation in and around the Republic of Croatia. “The Security Council fully supports the efforts of the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and of the Co-Chairman of the Steering Committee of the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia to defuse the situation, in line with the Council’s previous resolutions. “The Security Council stresses that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Croatia and welcomes the holding of talks between the parties in Geneva earlier today. It calls on both parties to commit themselves fully to that process and to acceptance of the Draft Agreement drawn up by the Co-Chairman as a basis for continuing those talks. “The Security Council demands that the parties halt all military actions and exercise the utmost restraint.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1995/37. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council will remain seized of the matter.