A Vietnamese representative at the UN Security Council called on “all parties in Guinea Bissau to accord utmost priorities to national interest at the council’s meeting in New York on November 5.

Ambassador Le Luong Minh told the meeting on the Guinea Bissau situation that all parties in the African nation should “foster dialogue and reconciliation, and jointly shoulder the national agenda of peace, security and socio-economic development”.

He voiced support for the role being played by the UN, including the Peace-building Commission, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the AU, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the international community at large to assist Guinea Bissau in overcoming the current difficulties and maximising its potentials in the process of peacebuilding, reconciliation and integration.

“We commend the efforts of the UN agencies to ensure a smooth transition process from UN Peace-building support office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS) and effect the establishment of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOBGIS) in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1876 (2009”.

“We remain convinced that the future work of the UN system in Guinea Bissau should be optimally defined and strengthened on the basis of the local conditions and the close consultations with the Government of Guinea Bissau and other regional stakeholders, with due respect for the political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guinea,” he concluded.

The UNSC meeting passed a Presidential Statement, welcoming the success of recent presidential elections in Guinea Bissau and highlighting challenges, such as drug-related and organised crimes, that the UN, regional and international organisations as well as the Guinea Bissau Government should be mindful of.

The statement also supports the process of establishing the UNIOGBIS from January 1, 2010 in an effort to contribute to Guinea Bissau’s reconstruction and development./.