Statement by High Representative Catherine Ashton following her meeting with Martin Kobler, the Special epresentative of the Secretary-General and hea

EUROPEAN UNION Brussels, 9 December 2011 A 505/11

Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission made the following statement today:

"Yesterday I met with Martin Kobler, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). As I did earlier this week in my meeting with the UN SG Ban Ki-moon, I expressed my full support for the efforts both UNAMI and UNHCR are making to solve the problem of Camp Ashraf.

I stressed that the safety of the people in the camp must be our primary concern.

The initiative by United Nations High Commissioner Antonio Guterres and the work of Mr. Kobler are essential to facilitate an orderly solution to the problem which fully respects human rights and international humanitarian law. I have stressed to all the parties involved, including the Iraqi Foreign Minister who I met this week and the EU Foreign Ministers, that the UNAMI and UNHCRled process must be fully supported as the best and only way forward. I have asked my Special Adviser Jean De Ruyt to continue liaising with the United Nations on my behalf, including on practical ways of working together.

I want to praise the work of Martin Kobler and reiterate my call on all parties to show flexibility and cooperate fully to find a satisfactory solution."

http://www.ncr-iran.org/en/news/ashraf/11511-statement-by-high-representative-catherine-ashton-following-her-meeting-with-martin-kobler-the-special-epresentative-of-the-secretary-general-and-head-of-the-un-assistance-mission-for-iraq-on-camp-ashraf