The statement was made by Ambassador Bui The Giang, Vietnamese Deputy Representative to the UN Security Council at a debate on the situation in Cote d’Ivoire in New York on December 7.

The Vietnamese diplomat expressed concern about the postponement of the first round of the presidential election scheduled for November 29 to late February or early March 2010. He said this delay, if continuously repeated, may exert complicated impact on the political process in Cote d’Ivoire.

Recognising the importance of overcoming technical and financial constraints and fulfilling the remaining electoral tasks, Ambassador Giang urged all parties in Cote d’Ivoire to renew commitments to promoting dialogue and reconciliation towards open, free, fair and transparent presidential elections in accordance with the agreed timeframe.

Speaking at the UNSC’s urgent consultative meeting on the Darfur situation and UN and African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) on the same day, the Vietnamese diplomat strongly condemned the recent attacks targeting UNAMID peacekeepers in Darfur.

Ambassador Giang expressed his support for an early and full investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice and recognised the efforts of the Sudanese Government which have led to the swift identification and arrest of a number of suspected perpetrators.