OSCE to participate in Geneva talks on Georgia crisis

Press release 385/2008
13 October, 2008

The French Presidency of the European Union has invited representatives from the EU, the UN and the OSCE to a ministerial-level meeting to discuss the crisis in Georgia on 14 October 2008 in Geneva. The EU will be represented by Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, High Representative Javier Solana and Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and the United Nations by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb will take part in the meeting. 

The meeting precedes negotiations at the level of special envoys which begin on 15 October and will include representatives from the EU, the UN, the OSCE, the United States, Russia and Georgia. In addition, the representatives of South Ossetia and Abkhazia will take part in the talks.

The OSCE will be represented by the Special Envoy of the Chairman-in-Office, Heikki Talvitie. OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut will also take part.

The Geneva talks are part of a peace agreement negotiated by the presidents of France and Russia. The aim of the talks is to advance regional peace and stability and the return of the refugees.

Additional information: Counsellor Janne Taalas, Deputy Head of the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force, tel. +358 40 728 4015, and Advisor to the Foreign Minister Mikko Hautala, tel. +358 40 834 6758.