OSCE Chair urges Belarus to make proposals for improving relations

VIENNA, 6 June 2002 - The Chairman of the OSCE Permanent Council, Ambassador Joao de Lima Pimentel of Portugal, called on the government of Belarus on Thursday to make concrete proposals for improving co-operation with the 55-nation Organization.

He was speaking at a news conference in Vienna after the OSCE's Permanent Council discussed the decision of the government of Belarus not to extend the visa of the Acting Head of the OSCE's Advisory and Monitoring Group (AMG) in Belarus, Andrew Carpenter. No reason was given for the de facto expulsion of Mr. Carpenter.

"We have appealed to the Belarusian government to answer the repeated requests of the Chair to come up with concrete proposals on their wishes concerning the future activities of the AMG," Ambassador Pimentel said. "Instead of this, the Belarusian authorities have been complaining about past events and talking in abstract terms about changing the mandate. But up to today they have not come up with one concrete proposal. This is what we have been requesting from them. And we will use all possible means and channels to move forward in some way."

The AMG was established following a decision of the Permanent Council in September 1997 to assist the Belarusian authorities in promoting democratic institutions and in complying with other OSCE commitments.

Asked if the AMG had exceeded its mandate, Ambassador Pimentel replied: "The majority in this Organization do not share that view. They consider that the work done by the former Head of the Mission was a correct fulfilment of its mandate."

The Portuguese Chairmanship again expressed its regret at the refusal of Belarus to renew visas for AMG staff, which had effectively frozen the mission's activities. "This can only harm the interests of Belarus," Ambassador Pimentel said.

Asked if the OSCE was considering closing the AMG, he replied: "We have not closed the mission because we think there are still possibilities to see if we can get something agreed. For the time being, the mission will continue to exist, under the responsibility of an administrative officer. We hope that appropriate conditions will be established allowing it to resume activities in accordance with the mandate and based on a concrete programme."