OSCE Chairmanship calls for intensification of Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism in the South Caucasus region

GENEVA, 8 June 2010 - The Kazakh OSCE Chairmanship called on participants in today's eleventh round of Geneva Discussions to resume meetings of the second Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) to address problems affecting daily the local communities.

"The IPRM has been designed to bring concrete solutions to concrete problems. Regular meetings are indispensable as incidents need to be fully investigated and appropriate responses agreed upon," Ambassador Bolat Nurgaliyev, the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, said.

"A flexible approach is a pre-condition to engage in discussions to meet the expectations of ordinary people and I call on all participants in the Geneva Discussions to show willingness to build confidence in tackling practical measures. People are suffering; how long will they have to wait to get back to normal life?" Nurgaliyev asked.

Nurgaliyev and the other two Co-Chairs - Ambassador Antti Turunen of the UN and Ambassador Pierre Morel of the EU - reviewed with the participants the security situation on the ground, including the problem of missing persons and detainees. They called for regular joint visits to the sites of incidents and emphasized the need to make full use of the hotline, opened in February 2009, especially during times of tension.

Participants worked in two groups to address security and stability in the region, as well as humanitarian matters.

Nurgaliyev facilitated consultations on the humanitarian package, notably in the field of gas and water, proposed by the OSCE. Participants remained committed to improving the daily lives of communities. The modalities of the proposed package will require further elaboration among the relevant stakeholders.

It was agreed that the next meeting would be held in Geneva on 27 July, preceded by a pre-round trip of the Co-Chairs to the region.