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MDHIAN 9591
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THE MINISTERS REGRETTED THAT THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES HAS
NOT DIMINISHED SINCE THE LAST EC-ASEAN MINISTERIAL MEETING.
THE REASONS ARE THE UNSOLVED POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS
OF THE INDOCHINA STATES. THE MINISTERS CALLED FOR A LASTING
SOLUTION TO THE REFUGEE PROBLEM BY SERIOUS DOMESTIC REFORMS
AND A PEACEFUL END TO THE CAMBODIA CONFLICT. THEY ALSO CALLED
FOR CONSIDERATION AT AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE RETURN TO THEIR PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THOSE ARRIVALS WHO DO NOT MEET THE AGREED CRITERIA FOR REFUGEE STATUS, SUB-
JECT TO SATISFACTORY GUARANTEES AS TO THEIR TREATMENT ON RE-
TURN.
AS LONG AS THE FLOW OF REFUGEES CONTINUES AND THOSE WHO
HAVE HAD TO LEAVE THEIR COUNTRIES ARE DENIED THEIR INALIEN-
ABLE RIGHT TO RETURN HOME SAFELY, HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS CO- ORDINATED BETWEEN THE COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM, THE RESETT- LEMENT COUNTRIES AND THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS CONCER-
NED WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO EASE THE SUFFERING OF THE
REFUGEES AND TO FIND THEM A NEW HOME. EC AND ASEAN WILL
CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THESE EFFORTS.
8 AFGHANISTAN
TO BE FORMULATED AT A LATER STAGE.
9. MIDDLE EAST
THE MINISTERS DISCUSSED DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MIDDLE
EAST AND EKSPRESSED THEIR CONCERN ABOUT THE SITUATION IN
THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES. THEY REFERRED TO DECLARATIONS AND
DEMARCHES MADE BY THE TWELVE, INCLUDING THE DECLARATIONS OF FEBRUARY 23RD, JULY 13TH, 1987, AND
AND FEBRUARY 8TH, 1988, AND
TO RESOLUTIONS OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL. THEY SUPPORTED
THE IDEA OF AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AS THE SUITABLE
FRAMEWORK FOR A POLITICAL SOLUTION. THE TWELVE AND ASEAN
CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE SOVEREIGNTY, INTEGRITY AND INDEPEN- DENCE OF LEBANON. THE IRAQ-IRAN CONFLICT IS CONTINUING TO
CAUSE GREAT HUMAN SUFFERING AND HEAVY MATERIAL LOSS.
IT
THREATENS THE STABILITY OF THE WHOLE REGION. THE MINISTERS
REAFFIRMED THEIR SUPPORT FOR A SPEEDY RESOLUTION OF THE
CONFLICT THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SECURITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION 598.
10. SOUTHERN AFRICA
WITH REGARD TO SOUTHERN AFRICA, THE MINISTERS REJECTED
UNEQUIVOCALLY THE SYSTEM OF APARTHEID WHICH VIOLATES HUMAN
DIGNITY AN REITERATED THEIR CALL FOR ITS TOTAL ABOLITION.
-FOLLOWING PART TWO WITH CPE BON 166--
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