Statement on behalf of the European Union delivered by H.E. Ambassador Stanislav Raščan, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Slovenia to the OSCE
The EU notes with concern the 16 June Spot Report of the Mission to Georgia, on the exchange of fire in the South Ossetian zone of conflict, which resulted in the death of one person and injuries to several others.
We are shocked by the report's observations that during the shooting an OSCE vehicle - accompanying a military monitoring team - was hit twice by grenades, and that it cannot be excluded that the vehicle was deliberately targeted. The EU strongly condemns this act of violence against OSCE staff and calls upon all participating States to voice an unequivocal position on the incident. Such acts are unacceptable and undermine efforts to reach a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The EU urges all parties to exercise caution and to refrain from provocative actions. This incident demonstrates once again the urgent need to implement the agreed demilitarisation and confidence building measures, including the immediate deployment of the eight much-needed additional Mission Monitoring Officers.
The EU would like to take this opportunity to reiterate its appreciation for the valuable work done in South Ossetia by the OSCE Mission, and recalls that the EU provides considerable assistance to the conflict settlement process, both through financial means and through the work of the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus. This support was further complemented this week, when the EU agreed to offer additional financial assistance to the conflict settlement process.
The candidate countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, the European Free Trade Association countries and members of the European Economic Area Iceland and Norway, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Azerbaijan align themselves with this statement.
* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process
