OSCE Chairman urges demilitarisation of Georgian-Ossetian conflict

SOFIA, 20 August 2004 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, expressed concern over recent developments in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict in messages to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity.

In a separate letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, he noted the role of the Russian Federation in efforts to achieve a settlement of the conflict.

"I am concerned over the current situation, which has been marked by repeated violations of the cease-fire agreement of 13 August," the Chairman-in-Office said. "I stress the urgency of an absolute cessation of violence as a precondition for reinvigorating dialogue on a political settlement."

The Chairman-in-Office emphasized the need for urgent demilitarization of the zone of conflict by all sides and reaffirmed his willingness to help facilitate an early peaceful resolution to the conflict.

"The Bulgarian OSCE Chairmanship is ready to take all necessary measures in order to facilitate the easing of tensions and the resumption of the political dialogue between the parties," Minister Passy added.

He welcomed President Saakashvili's statement of 19 August on the withdrawal from the zone of conflict of Georgian units which are not assigned to the Joint Peacekeeping Force battalions. He called on the South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity to adopt a similar stance.

On 18 August the Bulgarian Chairmanship convened a special session of the Permanent Council in Vienna to discuss the situation in the zone of conflict. Earlier, the Chairman-in-Office invited the parties to hold a meeting in Sofia for a high-level political dialogue.