OSCE Chairman-in-Office meets with the Foreign Minister of Belarus

COPENHAGEN, 7 February 1996 - The Danish Chairmanship of the OSCE issued the following statement today:

In his capacity as Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE, Danish Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen met today in Copenhagen with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Mr. Ivan Antonovich.

The Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE reiterated the position of the OSCE as expressed earlier by the OSCE Troika Ministers on developments in Belarus. He stated that neither the preparations for the referendum held in November 1996 nor the new constitution live up to democratic standards and to OSCE norms, principles and commitments. He urged the Government of Belarus to re-establish full respect for internationally accepted democratic and constitutional principles and practices, to enter into dialogue with the opposition and to enure free media and not restrict access to the media for members of the opposition.

The Chairman-in-Office underlined that the willingness of the Government of Belarus to engage in political and economic reforms is necessary for creating a substantial dialogue and constructive cooperation with neighbors and international organizations such as the OSCE.

The Chairman-in-Office expressed his readiness to assist in such a process. He proposed to send a Personal Representative to visit Minsk in the near future to assess a number of key issues, such as general democratic rights, freedom of the press, freedom of expression and of movement. The Personal Representative could also assess the possibility of sending to Belarus an OSCE mission to further assist in the reform process. The Chairman-in-Office asked the Government of Belarus to assist his Personal Representative in this task and to grant him full access to all relevant persons, institutions and information.

The Chairman-in-Office now expects an early reply from the Government of Belarus to the offer of sending a Personal Representative. He expresses as his personal assessment that there is reason to hope for a positive reply.