1. We have the honour to submit to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (the “Tribunal”) on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Guinea this Statement in Response to the request of 5 January 1998 for the prescription of provisional measures pursuant to Article 290 (5) of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the “Convention”).

2. The Government of Guinea asks the Tribunal to reject the request of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the prescription of provisional measures as some of the conditions laid down in Article 290 para. 5 of the Convention have not been satisfied.

3. The Government of Guinea is of the opinion that neither an Arbitral Tribunal nor the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea have jurisdiction to decide the dispute as presented to the Arbitral Tribunal by request of St. Vincent and the Grenadines of 22 December 1997. Furthermore the Government of Guinea is of the opinion that the urgency of the situation does not require the prescription of provisional measures.