SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES LIBERIA PEACE AGREEMENT

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General welcomes the signing today in Accra of a comprehensive peace agreement for Liberia.� The Secretary-General thanks the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), his Special Representative for West Africa, and the United States Government for assisting the Liberian parties in reaching this agreement.� He calls on all concerned to seize this opportunity to work together to restore peace and stability in the country.� He further calls upon the international community to support the parties in that endeavour.� The United Nations is presently making every effort to assist with the overwhelming humanitarian needs of the country, and to plan for a peacekeeping operation to take over from the multinational force authorized under Security Council resolution 1497 (2003).

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