Mideast situation/Meeting between the FMs of the five permanent members of the SecCo and the SecGen – Letter (excerpts)

LETTER DATED 25 SEPTEMBER 1997 FROM THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES

OF CHINA, FRANCE, THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, THE UNITED KINGDOM OF

GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE UNITED STATES OF

AMERICA TO THE UNITED NATIONS ADDRESSED TO THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

We have the honour to transmit herewith the text of the statement issued after the meeting which you had with our Ministers for Foreign Affairs on 25 September 1997.  We should be grateful if you would have it circulated as a document of the Security Council.

Annex

Statement issued on 25 September 1997 by the Ministers for Foreign

Affairs of the five permanent members of the Security Council     

following a meeting with the Secretary-General

1. On 25 September 1997, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the five permanent members met the Secretary-General of the United Nations, H.E. Mr. Kofi A. Annan.  H.E. Mr. Qian Qichen, Vice Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs, represented the People's Republic of China; H.E. Mr. Hubert Vedrine, Minister of Foreign Affairs, France; H.E. Mr. Yevgueni Primakov, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Russian Federation; H.E. Mr. Robin Cook, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; and H.E. Ms. Madeleine Albright, Secretary of State, the United States of America.

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11. The Ministers expressed their deep concern at the current difficulties in the Middle East peace process.  They condemned vigorously acts of terrorism and violence aimed at destroying the peace process and expressed their deep outrage at the terrorist attacks in Jerusalem.  They called upon all parties to implement in full commitments made under existing agreements and to refrain from actions that pre-empt the upcoming negotiations and worsen both the political and the economic situation in the Palestinian territories.  They supported the continuing efforts of the co-sponsors of the peace process and also of the European Union and urged all parties to resume without delay negotiations in the framework of this process and on the basis of the agreements already reached and in accordance with Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 and with the principle of "land for peace".  The Ministers expressed their hope that the negotiations between Israel, Syria and Lebanon could resume soon on a mutually agreed basis and in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions.  They urged all interested parties to avoid an escalation of violence and tension in south Lebanon and cooperate within the monitoring group.

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