UN Security Council mission due in

A UN Security Council mission was due to arrive in Ethiopia on Thursday as part of the drive for peace with Eritrea following the two-year border war between the countries. The 15 members of the mission, which is led by Norway's ambassador Ole Peter Kolby, are expected to meet Prime Minister Meles Zenawi before travelling to Eritrea at the weekend for talks with President Isayas Afewerki. Addressing a press briefing at UN headquarters in New York before departure, Kolby said the Council wanted to send a clear message to the people of both countries that the UN was committed to helping them build a lasting peace. The fact that all 15 members of the Council were taking part in the visit was "testimony to the importance" of the mission, he stated. "This very moment is a key stage in the peace process between the two countries because the upcoming determination by the Boundary Commission and its implementation are favourable steps towards building a comprehensive and lasting peace," he said. The 15 members of the Security Council are expected to discuss implementation of the Boundary Commission's decision, as well as the peace agreement signed by both countries in Algiers in December 2000. Prime Minister Meles said Ethiopia was optimistic about the border ruling by the international Boundary Commission in The Hague, which has been delayed until next month for "technical reasons". According to Ethiopian television, he said he expected the result to be "clear, just and open". He was speaking during a meeting with visiting Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jan Petersen, whose country has pledged US $1 million to help with the border demarcation. Norway will hold the presidency of the Security Council in March when the decision on delimitation should be announced by the Commission. Petersen, who also had talks in Eritrea, said the purpose of his visit was to gain more insight into both countries' position on issues related to the demarcation. In a statement released by the Norwegian Embassy in Addis Ababa, he said his country "will support Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as the United Nations, in the physical demarcation of the border".