Statement on situation in Georgia by OSCE PA President Goran Lennmarker

COPENHAGEN, 30 April 2008 - The President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Goran Lennmarker, today joined the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, in his expression of concern for the security situation in Georgia and support for the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In a statement, Lennmarker called on the governments of Russia and Georgia to resume talks immediately in order to reduce tensions in the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and their surroundings, following the airspace incident on 20 April.

"I urge all parties involved to remain calm, strengthen dialogue and actively seek peaceful ways to solve the outstanding issues, using all mechanisms available," Lennmarker said.

He expressed his support for the proposed UN-led Joint Fact Finding Group to investigate the airspace incident and for the work by the OSCE Mission to Georgia in South Ossetia and the United Nations in Abkhazia, Georgia.

President Lennmarker also underlined the great significance of the 21 May parliamentary elections for the future of Georgia, and he called on the Georgian authorities and all stakeholders to ensure that the elections live up to OSCE standards for democratic elections.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will be sending a delegation of Members of Parliament to the elections, headed by Assembly Vice-President Joao Soares, Portugal.

Lennmarker said he has contacted the Speaker of the Georgian parliament, Nino Burjanadze, who heads Georgia's delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, to urge her to do all she can to help solve the situation.