Chairman-in-Office issues statement on observation of presidential elections in the Republic of Montenegro

COPENHAGEN, 22 August 1997 - The Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE, Danish Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen, issued the following statement in Copenhagen today on the OSCE observation of the upcoming elections in the Republic of Montenegro:

The Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE has today reacted positively to an invitation from the President of the Assembly of the Republic of Montenegro, Svetozar Marovic, to the OSCE to observe the presidential elections in the Republic of Montenegro on 5 October 1997. The invitation for the parliamentary elections that will follow has also been noted with satisfaction.

The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights will immediately initiate preparations for the observation.

In the letter to Mr. Marovic, the Chairman-in-Office made clear that the OSCE observation should take place in accordance with the established OSCE procedures, including granting of full access to all parties and participants. He expressed his expectation that the Government of the Republic of Montenegro and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will render the OSCE observation all the support needed. In this context the offer of full cooperation in all phases from the President of the Assembly is welcomed.