OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO EU PRESIDENT,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 007832 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OSCE PREL PHUM GG EU SUBJECT: OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO EU PRESIDENT, CZECH FM SCHWARZENBERG ¶1. Post is authorized to present the following statement at the January 29 Permanent Council meeting in Vienna. Begin text: It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Permanent Council, Foreign Minister Schwarzenberg. The United States and the Czech Republic have a close bilateral relationship, and we also enjoy a close partnership with the European Union based on shared values and a strategic outlook. We look forward to building on both relationships to address the many challenges facing the OSCE in the coming months. Some of these dovetail well with your country's priorities for its EU Presidency. An issue of immediate concern is Georgia. First off, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the work of our Chairman-in-Office in helping smooth the way for resumption of gas deliveries to South Ossetia, and hope the commitment for follow-on work on water deliveries will prove just as successful. Nevertheless, the security situation in Georgia remains highly unstable. While the August 12 cease-fire and the September 8 agreement ended the active phase of fighting in the war, we continue to hear reports of kidnappings, banditry, and ethnic cleansing, and attacks on Georgian officials and property. Human Rights Watch recently called attention to violations of international law by all parties during the August conflict, including indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks by both Georgian and Russian forces and South Ossetian forces' campaign of deliberate destruction of ethnic Georgian villages in South Ossetia. Human Rights Watch also reported Russia's failure to ensure public order and safety in the areas of Georgia that remain under its control. These failures underscore the need for further OSCE engagement and an OSCE monitoring presence with uninhibited access to the whole of Georgia. Now is the time for more -- not less -- international engagement to help prevent violence, identify ongoing cease-fire violations, deter human rights abuses, and facilitate humanitarian assistance. In that respect, we value highly the role the EU Monitoring Mission is able to play in ensuring transparency and providing an additional international presence. We also greatly appreciate the contribution by EU Special Representative Morel to launching and sustaining the Geneva process. We are convinced the OSCE continues to have a vital �00A;role to play in restoring stability and security in the region, and trust that other delegations share this view. As we noted last week, we stand ready to work with the Chairmanship to ensure a continued OSCE presence in Georgia, and are prepared to support the Chairmanship's basic approach, while remaining sensitive to the need to support Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. Foreign Minister Schwarzenberg, we would appreciate hearing more about how the Presidency and the EU as a whole views the OSCE's evolving role and the added value it provides on the ground, and how OSCE activities fit in the larger picture of EU priorities for the region. We also welcome the Czech Presidency's emphasis on energy security as one of its priority issues. The OSCE affirmed its commitments on energy security in the 2003 Maastricht Strategy Document and in the 2006 Ministerial Council's Decision on Energy Security Dialogue. We believe that the OSCE can usefully supplement what is occurring in other fora in this critical area. The OSCE has a role to play in fostering an exchange on energy security, drawing from the collective knowledge base of participating States with a variety of interests and concerns. The OSCE brings together energy producers, consumers, and transit countries, all of which have roles in securing supply and transit, protecting infrastructure, managing demand, and bringing new technologies to market. The OSCE should continue with the commitments made in 2003 and 2006 by engaging in activities that will help us identify where our interests converge and what policies and instruments we can bring to bear that will enhance energy security for us all. As in the past, we will work with the European Union to strengthen all aspects of the human dimension. In line with the spirit of Helsinki, the European Union and the United STATE 00007832 002 OF 002 States, together with other OSCE participating States, must resolutely support the core values of this organization -- the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and the promotion of democratic institutions and the rule of law. These commitments serve as the foundation for peace and security in the OSCE region. We also welcome the Czech EU Presidency's emphasis on fortifying links with the EU's eastern neighbors through your 'Eastern Partnership Initiative.' These countries benefit significantly from increased contact with EU and OSCE partners. This important proposal reinforces our view that the previous enlargements by the EU and NATO over the past decade have made a significant contribution to stability and prosperity in Europe. The integration of additional countries into these euro-Atlantic structures has not come at the expense of any other, neighboring country or region, but has strengthened stability, security, and prosperity for us all. In these and other areas, we look forward to continuing to work with our EU partners to update and vitalize our existing security and cooperation agenda that have been nurtured by the OSCE over the years. Mr. Minister, we wish you and your mission here all the best. Please be assured of the full cooperation of the United States during the Czech presidency. Thank you. End text. CLINTON