06 February 2003
Transcript: U.S. Supports UN Efforts in Abkhazia
(Feb. 6, Vienna: Davidson statement to OSCE Permanent Council) (390)
The United States commends the efforts of the United Nations to find a
solution to the conflict in Abkhazia and supports an outcome that will
be achieved peacefully, in partnership with Georgia, and that fully
respects Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, U.S.
diplomat Douglas A. Davidson told the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna
February 6 after a presentation by Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini,
special representative of the UN Secretary General in Georgia.
Following is Davidson's statement:
(begin transcript)
United States Mission to the OSCE
Vienna
February 6, 2003
STATEMENT OF RESPONSE TO UN SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY
GENERAL FOR ABKHAZIA
Delivered by Chargé d'Affaires Douglas A. Davidson to the Permanent
Council
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I should like to join the Ambassador of Greece on behalf of the
European Union, and I am sure my other colleagues, in welcoming
Ambassadors Tagliavini and Lacombe to the Permanent Council today. We
are indeed privileged to have the current Special Representative of
the Secretary General for Georgia as well as her two distinguished
predecessors in the same room with us today. And I should like, in
particular, to thank Ambassador Tagliavini for coming to Vienna to
address us at this particularly busy time in her schedule.
As my colleague representing the European Union has already noted, the
appearance today of Ambassadors Lacombe and Tagliavini is indeed a
testament to the excellent cooperation between the United Nations and
the OSCE on this particularly difficult issue. If I may, I should like
to address myself to the remarks made by Ambassador Tagliavini first.
Mr. Chairman, Ambassador Tagliavini is to be commended for her hard
work and tireless commitment to resolving the difficult problem in
Abkhazia, Georgia.
The United States supports a cooperative and fully transparent
international approach, in partnership with Georgia, to achieve a
peaceful resolution to the conflict in Abkhazia that respects fully
Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
We support the efforts of the United Nations to bring about such a
resolution on the basis of the paper on "Basic Principles for the
Distribution of Competencies Between Tbilisi and Sukhumi," which as
Ambassador Tagliavini has already pointed out, has received the full
endorsement of the Security Council. We wish Ambassador Tagliavini
well in her continuing efforts in this regard.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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