Ambassador Heyken: Belarus and OSCE to make fresh start

MINSK, 17 February 2003 - Belarus and the OSCE are to "open a new page" in their relations, the Head of the OSCE Office in Minsk, Ambassador Eberhard Heyken, said on Monday.

"My endeavour will be to establish an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect," he said in his first press conference in Minsk since taking up his position. "My work will be done in the spirit of sincerity and reliability."

Ambassador Heyken said the Office in Minsk would co-operate with the Government and focus its activities on institution-building, the rule of law, civil society and economic and environmental affairs.

The OSCE Office in Minsk will monitor and report accurately on the above mentioned objectives.

"This co-operative approach reflects a development which has been more and more recognized within the OSCE system in recent years, i.e. in a period during which field missions in nearly 20 OSCE participating States came into being. An OSCE mission cannot function properly if it is separated or isolated from the state, the government and the society of the host country," the Head of Office said.

Ambassador Heyken said he had received a friendly welcome in meetings with Belarusian Foreign Minister Mikhail Khvostov and Foreign Policy Adviser to the President, Igor Leschenya. He expressed hope that the spirit of co-operation and good will would continue.

The Head of the OSCE Office in Minsk also said that the Office will use its right to maintain contacts with all national and local authorities, as well as with every person, individually or in association with others. He invited those who wish to establish contacts with the Office to do so.

Ambassador Heyken, an experienced German diplomat whose most recent ambassadorial appointments were to Ukraine (1996-2000) and Switzerland (1994-96), was appointed by the Dutch Chairmanship of the OSCE on 30 January. He took up his duties on 10 February.