S/PV.8016 Security Council

As this is the first public meeting of the Security Council for the month of August, I should like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Security Council, to pay tribute to His Excellency Ambassador Liu Jieyi, Permanent Representative of China, for his service as President of the Council for the month of July. I am sure I speak for all members of the Security Council in expressing deep appreciation to Ambassador Liu and his delegation for the great diplomatic skill with which they conducted the Council’s business last month. Expression of welcome to the new Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation

I should also like to extend, on behalf of the Council, a warm welcome to the new Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, His Excellency Mr. Vassily Alekseevich Nebenzia. We look forward to collaborating closely with him and we wish him every success. Adoption of the agenda

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council has before it the text of a statement by the President on behalf of the Council on the subject of today’s meeting. I thank Council members for their valuable contributions to the statement. In accordance with the understanding reached among the members of the Council, I shall take it that the members of the Security Council agree to the statement, which will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2017/13.