Statement in Response to the Address by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office
H.E. Mr. M. Geoana

Delivered by Ambassador V.Ohrysko
on behalf of the GUUAM Group to the Permanent Council,
September 21, 2001

Mr. Chairman,

On behalf of the Delegations of GUUAM States – Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine let me warmly welcome distinguished OSCE Chairman-in-Office Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania H.E. Mr. M. Geoana. His report on the work done by Romanian Chairmanship is as usually impressive.

Like others, our Delegations on several occasions expressed their positions on an urgent need for all the OSCE participating States to join their efforts in a struggle against terrorism and extremism in all their forms and manifestations. That is why we cannot but support ideas and proposals expressed by H.E. Mr. M. Geoana.

Mr. Chairman,

The population inhabiting the GUUAM region practices a variety of religions, including Christianity and Islam. Their peaceful co-existence and the wealth of our religious diversity help us to find a cure to our wounds and encourage us to bring to justice those responsible for the violations. Deploring any acts of vengeance directed against certain religious or ethnic groups, our Delegations would like to highlight that terrorism, armed separatism and national extremism have neither religion, nor borders. Therefore we welcome the ideas and proposals expressed by H.E. Mr M.Geoana in this regard.

Mr. Chairman,

With regard to the situation in the Republic of Macedonia, I would like to underline that GUUAM States support the legitimate aspiration of this country to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and its resistance to those who have chosen a dangerous way of forceful solution of the existing problems. We do believe that the international community, first of all the OSCE, should do more in helping Macedonia to resolve the crisis. The escalation of ethnic tension here can undermine a very fragile stability in the Balkans in general.

We believe that the OSCE should respond quickly and positively to the recent request of the Macedonian Government on the enhancement of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission in Skopje. Our Delegations are ready to participate actively in consultations on an elaboration of a relevant Permanent Council’s decision, in particular with regard to financial implications of Mission’s enhancement.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.