OSCE Chairman says OSCE must do its utmost for the safety of civilians in and around South Ossetia

Press release 288/2008
13 August, 2008

HELSINKI, 13 August 2008 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, voiced grave concern today about the safety of civilians in and around the South Ossetia conflict area, and will push for an increase of Military Monitoring Officers of the OSCE Mission to Georgia by up to one hundred.

"I am gravely concerned about reports of continued violence against civilians and their property in and around the zone of conflict. The ceasefire agreed on yesterday must be strictly adhered to. In this situation the OSCE should do its utmost and deploy an additional one hundred Military Monitoring Officers as soon as possible", said Stubb.

"I expect all measures necessary to be taken to ensure the safety of non-combatants, regardless of their ethnic origins, and for obligations under international humanitarian law to be respected."

The Chairman-in-Office said he was in constant contact with the OSCE Mission to Georgia, which has not been able to gain full access to the conflict area.

He said the Head of Mission, Ambassador Terhi Hakala, had demanded that the Russian Federation organise a humanitarian corridor out of the conflict zone to the south as soon as possible.

Further information: Ambassador Aleksi Härkönen, Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force, tel. +358 400 330 406, or Press Attaché to the Minister, Juha Kirstilä, tel. +358 40 552 8200