OSCE, UN and EU leaders meet ahead of Geneva discussions on Georgia

Press release 388/2008
15 October 2008

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, met UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Tuesday,14 October to discuss Wednesday’s diplomatic-level discussions on Georgia.

Javier Solana, the High Representative for the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and , the European Commissioner for External Relations, and Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees also attended the working dinner and a news conference at which the following statement was made:

“The EU, the UN and the OSCE – all three engaged in a significant manner through their respective missions on the ground - will contribute fully to the Geneva discussions that will open tomorrow, 15 October, in the Palais des Nations.

The discussions are in line with the agreements of 12 August and 8 September 2008. They will address two important questions – stability and security in the region and the situation of displaced persons.”

Additional information: Counsellor Janne Taalas, Deputy Head of the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force, tel. +358 40 728 4015