OSCE Chairman welcomes Russian President's decision to end military operation in Georgia

MOSCOW, 12 August 2008 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, welcomed Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's decision today to halt the military operation in Georgia and said the OSCE stood ready to help monitor any ceasefire and assist in humanitarian relief efforts.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov briefed Minister Stubb on President Medvedev's decision during meetings at which the Chairman-in-Office outlined a joint OSCE-EU peace proposal for the conflict in Georgia.

"I welcome President Medvedev's decision. I believe this means we are moving closer to a ceasefire and to the desperately needed follow-up humanitarian efforts," said Minister Stubb. "I also strongly believe this decision reflects the strenuous diplomatic efforts of the OSCE, the EU and other international actors."

The Chairman-in-Office briefed Minister Lavrov on his visit to Tbilisi and the Georgian city of Gori with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose country holds the EU's revolving presidency.

"The overriding priority of the OSCE and the EU is to broker that ceasefire as soon as possible. After that, we need to launch a humanitarian effort, given the number of civilians who have suffered in this needless fighting," Minister Stubb said, noting the OSCE-EU plan had been signed already by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and that it called for the non-use of force as well as a withdrawal to pre-conflict levels and locations.

"The OSCE is the only international organization with the infrastructure, people and experience already in place in Georgia. We can clearly play a key role in any further mediation, monitoring and any humanitarian work, taking into account the European Union's crisis management expertise and other international players," he said.

Minister Stubb said additional military monitoring officers would be needed in Georgia to supplement the nine already assigned there. He said Finland would discuss this and seek agreement from the other 55 OSCE participating States at the Organization's headquarters in Vienna.