OSCE Chairman satisfied with Geneva process, appeals for continuation of OSCE Mission to Georgia

HELSINKI, 19 December 2008 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, said today he was satisfied with the discussions on Georgia held in Geneva on 17-18 December.

"Practical and concrete matters were tackled with aim of helping the people in the region. All invited parties participated in the discussions and were also able to address difficult issues," he said.

The OSCE, UN and EU co-chair discussions on Georgia. The other participants are the United States, the Russian Federation and Georgia, as well as representatives of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The discussions take place in two parallel working groups; one looking at security and stability in the region and the other at internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees.

The next Geneva meeting is scheduled for 17-18 February 2009.

The Chairman-in-Office also appealed to all OSCE participating States for the OSCE Mission to Georgia to be able to continue its work. The Mission's mandate expires on 31 December.

"Finland has made proposals to continue the OSCE Mission mandate in Georgia and to return to South Ossetia. We have worked hard for these goals. Unfortunately we have not yet been able to reach consensus among all OSCE participating States on the continued OSCE presence in Georgia. If a solution is not found soon, continued OSCE activities in Georgia will be in danger next year," Stubb said.

"I appeal to all OSCE participating States constructively to consider our proposal on the future of the OSCE Mission to Georgia or at least agree on a three-month technical extension to allow further negotiations."