OSCE Chairman discusses situation in Georgia with country's Foreign Minister

HELSINKI, 30 May 2008 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, met Georgian Foreign Minister Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili in Helsinki today to discuss the situation in the Georgian conflict regions and OSCE activities in the country.

The ministers also discussed Georgia's recent parliamentary elections and the results of investigations into the shooting down of a Georgian unmanned aerial vehicle over Abkhazia, Georgia on 20 April.

The OSCE Chairman expressed serious concern over the situation in the Georgian breakaway regions and reiterated the OSCE's full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders. He also underscored the need for confidence-building measures.

Minister Tkeshelashvili expressed interest in using OSCE confidence-building measures to defuse tensions between Georgia and the Russian Federation.

"The OSCE confidence-building measures should be used by participating States to calm tensions and foster dialogue. Guided by the prescribed procedures, the Finnish Chairmanship will do its best to assist in consultations between Georgia and the Russian Federation," said Minister Stubb.

"The United Nations has a lead role in the peace efforts in Abkhazia, Georgia, and the OSCE concentrates its work on resolving the Georgian-Ossetian conflict. I am concerned that the existing negotiating format in the South Ossetian conflict has not been conducive to the resolution of the conflict. It is time to explore possibilities for a new negotiating format that would be acceptable to the parties to the conflict" he added.