2000 press releases

Head of U.S. Mission to OSCE Urges Belarus to Cooperate with OSCE Advisory Group (December 7, 2000)

Thank you, Madame Chairperson.

We share your strong support for the important work of the Advisory and Monitoring Group in Minsk.

We too believe that it continues to play a valuable role in assisting Belarus to meet its OSCE commitments, particularly during the run-up to Presidential elections next year.

An active Assistance and Monitoring Group can provide invaluable assistance to the Belarusian authorities in helping those authorities implement the requirements of the criteria established by the OSCE Troika with respect to the Presidential elections.

The AMG has already laid a key cornerstone for democratic Presidential elections by training a team of domestic observers. These experienced observers rendered democracy in Belarus a vital service in the last elections. The AMG's continued support of a domestic observation effort will help the Belarusian authorities ensure that the Presidential elections are indeed democratic.

Madame Chairperson, when the Permanent Council adopted a clear mandate for the AMG it set it for two tasks -- to assist the Belarusian authorities in promoting democratic institutions and in complying with other OSCE commitments and to monitor and report on this process.

Ambassador Wieck and his colleagues have demonstrated a high degree of integrity and commitment in faithfully carrying out this mandate. AMG activities in support of civil society, development of the media, and monitoring of commitments are not only consistent with that mandate, but central to its fulfillment.

We urge the Government of Belarus to extend to the AMG its full cooperation and support as a way to signal its determination to meet its OSCE commitments and to carry out truly democratic presidential elections.

Thank you.