HOPES OF SEEING DECISIVE PROGRESS IN NK HAVE BEEN DASHED – OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE
Author: A.Mammadova

TREND, Azerbaijan
Sept 28 2006

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De
Gucht, called today for political leaders to show vision and take
responsibility to help solve "frozen conflicts" that threaten to
erupt a new at any time, Trend reports quoting the statement of OSCE.

The Minister also told a session of the OSCE Permanent Council attended
by the King of the Belgians, Albert II, that the Organization needed
to restore confidence in the 56-nation body as an effective instrument
for peace and stability throughout Europe.

"The ‘frozen conflicts’ remind us that peace is never permanent; it is
something to which attention must be paid each and every day," said the
Chairman-in-Office. He said Belgium – which chairs the OSCE this year –
had tried to help solve the unresolved conflicts on OSCE territory.

"It must be admitted, unfortunately, that it has done so without
much in the way of results – at least so far," Minister De Gucht
said. "In some respects, the hopes of seeing decisive progress in
Nagorno-Karabakh have been dashed. Tension in the South Caucasus
remains high – worryingly so. Negotiations on the Transdniestria
issue have stalled," the Minister emphasized.

The Chairman-in-Office said the outlines for solving the conflicts were
well known and elements for settling them were already on the table.

The key was political will.

Gucht emphasized that it needs to restore confidence in the OSCE
through co-operation, preventive diplomacy, economic development,
respect for human rights and the promotion of democratic institutions.