Annan voices support for efforts of Mano River Union countries to promote stability

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan looked forward to the convening of a proposed summit between the leaders of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone as another milestone towards restoring "good neighbourliness among them," a UN spokesman said today.

Mr. Annan has been following "with interest" the recent developments within the Mano River Union (MRU) and the progress made so far by the governments of the three countries in their efforts to restore confidence and promote stability in the sub-region, spokesman Manoel Almeida e Silva told a news briefing at UN Headquarters in New York.

"The Secretary-General hopes that the spirit of frank and constructive dialogue that characterized the meetings of the Joint Security Committee and of Foreign Ministers will eventually be applied to addressing some of the root causes of the problems affecting the MRU countries," the spokesman said.

The Secretary-General also reiterated the UN's commitment to support, "in whatever ways it can, the MRU Member States in their common efforts to create the necessary conditions for enhancing security and disseminating a culture of peace in the sub-region," Mr. Almeida e Silva said.