OSCE and Belarus agree on new OSCE Office in Minsk

VIENNA, 30 December 2002 - The Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe agreed on Monday to create a new OSCE Office in Minsk from January 1, 2003, replacing the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group which will cease its activities on December 31, 2002.

The decision by the 55 OSCE ambassadors follows negotiations between the Government of Belarus and the OSCE's Portuguese Chairmanship on a new mandate for the Organization's activities in Minsk.

The mandate of the new Office in Minsk will be to "assist the Belarusian Government in further promoting institution-building, in further consolidating the Rule of Law and in developing relations with civil society, in accordance with OSCE principles and commitments".

The Office will also assist the Belarusian Government in its efforts in developing economic and environmental activities and will monitor and report accurately on the above mentioned objectives.

"We welcome this decision to create a new OSCE Office in Minsk and are grateful to the Belarusian Government for its constructive approach in the recent negotiations", said the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Portuguese Foreign Minister Antonio Martins da Cruz. "Portugal also hopes that this decision will contribute to the normalization of the relations of Belarus with the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE and with the European Union."

"We look forward to the early arrival of the new OSCE team in Minsk", the Chairman-in-Office added.

The Office in Minsk will be staffed by a Head of Office, assisted by a team of experts.