S/PV.4314 Security Council

In accordance with the decision taken at the 4313th meeting, I invite the Minister for Special Affairs of Georgia, His Excellency Mr. Malkhaz Kakabadze, to take a seat at the Council table. The Security Council will now resume its consideration of the item on its agenda. The 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 welcomes the briefing provided by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, on 24 April 2001, in accordance with paragraph 16 of its resolution 1339 (2001) of 31 January 2001. It welcomes also the presence of the Minister for Special Affairs of Georgia at its meeting. “The Security Council stresses that the continued lack of progress on key issues of a comprehensive settlement of the conflict in Abkhazia, Georgia, is unacceptable. It underlines the decisive importance of early negotiations on the core political questions of the conflict. It strongly supports, in this context, the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary- General to promote the achievement of a comprehensive political settlement based on the resolutions of the Security Council, which must include a settlement of the political status of Abkhazia within the State of Georgia. “The Security Council strongly supports, in particular, the intention of the Special Representative to submit, in the near future, his draft paper containing specific proposals to the parties on the question of the distribution of constitutional competences between Tbilisi and Sukhumi. It calls on all those concerned to use their influence with a view to facilitating this process. “The Security Council welcomes the intention of the Special Representative to submit the draft paper to the parties soon, as a starting point for negotiation, and not as an attempt to impose or dictate any possible solution. It calls upon the parties constructively to accept the paper in this light and work towards a mutually acceptable settlement. “The Security Council will remain actively seized of the matter and reaffirms its commitment to advancing the peace process.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2001/12. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.