OSCE Chairman deplores hostage taking in Russia

SOFIA, 1 September 2004 - OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, expressed outrage over the seizure by terrorists of a school in Beslan in the Russian republic of North Ossetia, where a large number of children and adults are being held hostage.

Speaking on behalf of the 55-nation security body, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister also condemned a bomb blast in Moscow on Tuesday as a vicious and murderous act. He offered the Russian authorities his deepest condolences on behalf of the OSCE States and asked that these be conveyed to the relatives of the people killed and injured.

"I am horrified by today's seizure of innocent children and adults by terrorists," the Chairman-in-Office said. "I unreservedly condemn the taking of the hostages, which is never justified in any circumstances, and hope their release can be secured without bloodshed."

The Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs said the OSCE would remain firm in its commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms. "This remains one of the Organization's main priorities," he said.