OSCE remains committed to an active role in Georgia

VIENNA, 10 September 2004 - A group of 20 heads and members of delegations to the OSCE in Vienna paid a visit to Georgia from 5 to 9 September. The delegation, which was headed by Ambassador Ivan Naydenov, Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office, visited the country at the invitation of the Georgian Foreign Ministry.

"This event provided an excellent opportunity for OSCE delegations in Vienna to personally assess the situation in Georgia - especially the state of affairs in the settlement process of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict," said Ambassador Naydenov.

The OSCE diplomats met the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burjanadze, Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili and other Georgian officials. The delegation also held talks with the leader of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity and the leadership of Abkhazia.

In their meetings in Tbilisi, Tskhinvali and Sukhumi, the Ambassadors expressed their conviction that a resolution to the conflicts could only be found by peaceful means. With regard to the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, they emphasised the importance of strengthening the existing cease-fire and advancing the process of stabilisation in the zone of conflict, and urged the sides to sincerely pursue a negotiated settlement.

"The OSCE has an important role to play both in restoring confidence and increasing stability on the ground as well as in facilitating the political process aimed at comprehensive settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict," said Ambassador Naydenov.

The Ambassadors also visited the Border Monitoring Operation of the OSCE Mission to Georgia.

Today, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, is meeting the Georgian Foreign Minister in Sofia to further discuss an enhanced role for the OSCE in the country.