Troika Ministers address pressing OSCE issues at Vienna meeting

VIENNA, 27 October 2000 - The Foreign Ministers of the OSCE Troika - Benita Ferrero-Waldner of Austria, Petre Roman of Romania, and Espen Barth Eide (State Secretary) of Norway met today in Vienna to review issues of concern to the OSCE.

The Ministers expressed their satisfaction with the democratic change in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and their determination to integrate the FRY as a new participating State of the OSCE. The Ministers agreed that the 27-28 November meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Vienna would be an appropriate setting to mark the admittance of FRY as a new OSCE participating State. They reiterated their offer of OSCE assistance in building the institutions fundamental to a democratic system and to observe the Serbian elections scheduled for 23 December 2000.

On the eve of the Kosovo elections, the Ministers called on the people of Kosovo to seize this opportunity to take over the reigns in governing at the local level. The world will be watching on Saturday and will hope to see an election free of the violence that has been plaguing the province. The Ministers expressed their regret that the Serb and other minorities have refused to participate. The Ministers expressed their confidence in the preparations for the elections by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. They expect full recognition and swift implementation of the election results.

With parliamentary elections just weeks away in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ministers were encouraged by the multiethnic platforms of major political parties. They expressed their hope that these elections would take the country one step further and that the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina would assume full responsibility for their country.

The Ministers were discouraged by the conduct of the 15 October parliamentary elections in Belarus. They noted that both the parliamentary Troika and the OSCE/ODIHR Technical Assessment Mission concluded that insufficient process had been made to meet international standards for democratic elections and that the process remained flawed. They expressed the hope that in the lead up to next years presidential elections progress would be made in the four areas of reform identified by the international community, which entail: greater transparency of the election process, establishment of a climate of confidence and trust, regular access to state-controlled electronic mass media for opposition parties and strengthening of the functions of parliament. The Ministers denounced the accusations by the Belarus Government regarding the objectivity of the OSCE's assessments and that the OSCE Assistance and Monitoring Group to Belarus was channelling funds to the opposition. They also condemned the jailing of Mrs. Julia Chigir, the wife of the former Belarus Prime Minister, a move which the AMG said appears to be "politically motivated and represents another attempt to silence the opposition in Belarus." They reiterated their strong support for the work of the AMG.

The Ministers discussed at length the troubling situation in Chechnya (Russian Federation), where fighting is routine, no political dialogue exists, and the suffering of the civilian population continues unabated. They encouraged the Austrian Chairmanship to continue their endeavors to reach a common understanding on the technicalities of the deployment to Znamenskoje of the OSCE Assistance Group with the Russian government. They expressed their support for the assistance the OSCE can provide in the humanitarian and human rights field. They stressed that it is distinctly a part of the OSCE Assistance Group mandate to facilitate a political dialogue in support of a political and lasting solution to the conflict.

On Georgia, the Ministers expressed their expectations regarding the progress in the resolution of the South Ossetian conflict. They were satisfied that the 10-13 July experts meeting in Baden near Vienna gave new impetus to the peace process and that the OSCE could play a stronger role in future negotiations. The Ministers commended the continued successful functioning of the OSCE border monitoring operation along the border between Georgia and the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation. As part of the OSCE Mission to Georgia, it is generally recognised that the monitoring operation has significantly contributed to the stabilisation of the region. At the same time, the Ministers noted that the security situation in Abkhazia remains precarious and that the negotiations toward a political settlement remain at a standstill. They were satisfied that preparations were underway to send a joint UN-led expert fact-finding mission, with OSCE participation, to the Gali region to work toward enabling the safe return of displaced persons to their homes.

Regarding the overall situation in Moldova, the OSCE Troika reiterated their concern about the lack of progress in the withdrawal process of Russian arms and ammunition from the territory of the Republic. Immediate action is needed to speed up the withdrawal process, in particular with regard to the implementation of the relevant committments taken at the Istanbul Summit Meeting on the deadline for the completion of the removal of all Russian arms and ammunition from the country. The Ministers expressed the readiness of the OSCE to monitor the process. They expressed their appreciation to the Austrian Chairmanship for its efforts to revitalise the negotiating process with regard to Transdniestria. They were discouraged, however, by the news that the representatives of Transdniestria will not take part in the 30 October meeting in Vienna between the parties and the mediators, which they believe is a significant setback in the process.

The Ministers welcomed the strong engagement of the OSCE in Central Asia, and in particular the efforts of the Austrian Chairmanship to enhance regional co-operation regarding threats to stability and security involving terrorism, drug trafficking, and organized crime. They were encouraged that all five CA States took active part in the UN ODCCP/OSCE CiO International Conference on Countering Drugs, Organized Crime and Terrorism in Central Asia, which was held on 19-20 October in Tashkent, and that they adopted joint documents on the subject. At the same time, they re-emphasised that progress in political and economic reforms, democratization, and respect for human rights are essential parts of comprehensive security and are key elements to ensure long-term stability.

The Secretary General of the OSCE, Jan Kubis, also took part in the meeting. Other participants included: the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Adrian Severin, the Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Gerard Stoudmann, and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Freimut Duve.

For further information contact the Press and Public Information Section of the OSCE Secretariat, tel.: (+ 43-1) 514 36 180 or e-mail: info@osce.org