OSCE Chairman, Georgian Foreign Minister Discuss S.Ossetia

OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, who arrived in Georgia on June 22 for a two-day working visit, met with his Georgian counterpart Gela Bezhuashvili.

After the talks Karel De Gucht said that his visit has just began and was not ready for making any concrete statements.

During the press conference the two ministers mainly focused on a donors? conference in Brussels, which was held on June 14 to raise funds for the South Ossetian conflict zone?s rehabilitation. The both ministers stressed that the even was an important part of the peace process. Western donors pledged up to EUR 8 million, while Russia committed to allocate separate funding of up to EUR 3 million.

Karel De Gucht noted that the OSCE will insist on Russia?s participating in funding of those projects which have been proposed after the OSCE-led Need Assessment Study.

Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili said that issues related with implementation of the Tbilisi?s peace plan over South Ossetia were discussed during the meeting.

?Georgia and our partners are working on implementation of this peace plan with determination,? Bezhuashvili said.

OSCE Chairman-in-Office Karel De Gucht will also hold talks with breakaway South Ossetia?s leadership in the unrecognized republic?s capital Tskhinvali on June 23.