OSCE Chairman-in-Office expresses concern over campaign against the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus

BUCHAREST, 7 September 2001 (OSCE) - The Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe notes with concern the public campaign launched in Belarus against the OSCE in general and its Advisory and Monitoring Group (AMG) in Belarus in particular, in connection with the current presidential election campaign.

The activities of the Advisory and Monitoring Group are in compliance with the mandate and with the decisions of the OSCE Istanbul Summit Declaration of 19 November 1999, which were signed by all the participating States, including Belarus. The AMG has nothing to do with any intelligence operations in connection with the Presidential Elections.

The AMG and its Head actively support the development of democratic institutions and democratic procedures. This involves close co-operation with the partners on the official and on the non-official sides. Regrettably, co-operation between Belarus authorities and the OSCE has not been at its best for almost a year. The OSCE, including its missions, are guided by the Copenhagen and Paris documents of 1990, as well as by the specific agreements on co-operation with Belarus, as stated in the Istanbul Declaration.

The Chairman-in-Office urges the Belarus authorities to discontinue the unfounded public campaign against the Head of the AMG in Belarus and to renew their co-operation with the AMG on the basis of the existing relevant documents and in the spirit of the Istanbul Declaration, which encouraged the AMG to closely co-operate with the authorities, the opposition parties and the non-governmental organizations in the strengthening of democratic institutions and compliance of Belarus with OSCE commitments.

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For further information contact Josue Anselmo, OSCE Spokesperson, mobile 0664 325 3698, or the Press and Public Information Section of the OSCE Secretariat, tel.: +43-1-514-36-180; fax: +43-1-514-36-105; e-mail: info@osce.org.