GEORGIA: UN ENVOY REPORTS PROGRESS DURING LATEST ROUND OF INTERNATIONAL TALKS

The United Nations envoy to Georgia and his European co-chairs led talks today as part of the continuing international discussions aimed at preventing an outbreak of renewed violence following last year's deadly conflict in Georgia.

Johan Verbeke, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Georgia, and representatives of the European Union (EU) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), took part in today's round of the Geneva International Discussions. The UN and the two other organizations are co-chairs of the discussions.

Later Mr. Verbeke told reporters that today's discussions had achieved a concrete result, with the Abkhaz side – which has previously committed to a mechanism designed to prevent and resolve incidents as they arise – indicating that it would now move towards the implementation stage.

As a result a first consultative meeting is scheduled to take place in Gali under UN auspices on 14 July.

The participants in the discussions also agreed to meet again on 17 September in Geneva.
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TOP UN ENVOY DEPLORES LATEST SUICIDE BOMB BLAST IN NORTHERN IRAQ

The top United Nations official in Iraq today strongly condemned a massive suicide truck bomb attack, killing over 70 people and wounding more than 180 others in the oil-rich, ethnically mixed north of the strife-torn country.

The 20 June blast just south of Kirkuk in Taza district was a "horrifying and wicked crime against innocent civilians, destroying more than 80 homes and businesses and severely damaging a mosque," said Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-General''s Special Representative for Iraq.

Mr. de Mistura stressed that while this "despicable crime is aimed at provoking a new cycle of mass violence and revenge, and aims to sow new tensions among the different communities of this area, the overwhelming majority of the Iraqi people, including in Kirkuk governorate, have opted for dialogue and compromise to resolve whatever differences they may have."

Speaking from New York, where he has been briefing the Security Council, he extended "sincere condolences to the bereaved families and wishes for a speedy recovery for the wounded" on behalf of the UN.

On Thursday, Mr. de Mistura told the Security Council that Iraq has the potential to overcome its challenges and flourish, with much depending on a number of key priorities, including an improvement in the daily lives of its people and defusing existing tensions.

The past two years have seen the Iraqis "progressively fatigued" over civil strife, slowly shedding sectarian divisions, seeking reconciliation and turning up at the polls, he told the Security Council as he wrapped up his 18-month assignment in the country.
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