15 February 2013 - Speaking to the press today after meeting for over two hours with Transitional President Serifo Nhamajo, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Guinea-Bissau, José Ramos-Horta, gave an overview of meetings he had with various stakeholders and partners since his arrival in Bissau on Wednesday 13 February.

"I continue to make contacts, especially courtesy calls, with all the leaders of the country", he said, noting that he had already met the President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the People's National Assembly, the Justice Minister and the diplomatic corps. "In the coming week we shall continue with the political parties, civil society, universities, and I am willing to give a public lecture," he stated, adding, "I am quite optimistic, confident, that, first of all, there is a great will for this transitional process to develop into a definitive solution of peace for Guinea-Bissau."

"Secondly, there are, obviously, still great challenges, there can be unforeseeable problems," he added. "We have to be careful and not excessively optimistic but we, the United Nations as well as our partners, are all attentive and have the will to support this transition process so that it is as inclusive and credible as possible, leading to the elections".

With regard to the polls, he stated: "We do not know when the elections will be held. I think we should not precipitate the holding of polls. There has to be a national consensus on where the country is going so that the results of the polls are accepted by all".

Explaining that he was still at the start of his contacts, he stressed that he was "always in sync with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union (AU), European Union (EU) and Community of Portuguese-Language Countries (CPLP). "We are at a time when all friends of Guinea-Bissau, all international organisations, need to synchronise their positions, which converge on the same goal," the SRSG stressed.

Asked about his encounter with Nhamajo, he said he « found in the President a very lucid person with great simplicity and humility, enormous courage and a profound will to lead this country out of its crisis.

"As a Guinean and as head of state, it pains his heart to see the difficulties that the country is experiencing, the discredit [...] I felt in him someone with whom the UN can work as well as with other national actors so that together we can get Guinea-Bissau to finally emerge from this cycle of so many years of instability," Nhamajo stated.