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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release July 27, 1999

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

I welcome the announcement by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) that Ethiopia and Eritrea have accepted the OAU Framework Agreement and the Modalities for its implementation, and agreed to steps proposed by the OAU to facilitate implementation of the Agreement. This is a significant step toward peace.

We have worked intensively with the OAU in recent weeks to help bring an end to this devastating conflict. My Special Envoy, Anthony Lake, has just returned from the region, where he met with the leaders of both governments and the OAU. The United States will continue to support the efforts of the OAU under the Chairmanship of Algerian President Bouteflika to bring this tragic conflict to a speedy conclusion.

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