OSCE Chairman meets Georgian President, calls for calm in the region

TBILISI, 15 March 2004 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, flew from Tbilisi to the western port of Poti to meet Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Monday and urged him to continue talks in order to resolve tensions around Ajara.

The Chairman-in-Office received assurances from President Saakashvili that force will not be used and was told that the Georgian leader had invited the Head of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara, Aslan Abashidze, to meet him later in the day for talks.

In a separate phone conversation, Minister Passy called upon Abashidze to accept the offer and engage in a dialogue to resolve the differences between the two sides.

During his meetings with Georgian leaders, the Chairman-in-Office said the 55-nation OSCE would spare no efforts in supporting the territorial integrity of the country. "We are committed to promoting democracy in Georgia and will work hard to secure a peaceful future for the people of the region," he said.

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office expressed hope for a rapid easing of tension in Georgia so that the 28 March parliamentary elections can be conducted in a free and fair manner.

During his trip to Georgia, Minister Passy also met Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, acting Foreign Minister David Aptsiauri and the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II.