Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I would like to thank Ambassador Wieck not just for his report today, but for his work over the last several years, and particularly over the last year, which demonstrated true courage.

The report that has been produced by the European institutions is quite clear and there is no getting around the fact that the presidential election in Belarus did not meet OSCE commitments.

We have already spoken to that question at some length and I do not want to revisit all of the points on it today. But I would like to focus very clearly on the positive development that was noted in the September 10 report -- and that is the embryonic emergence of a pluralist civil society.

On what was indeed an unprecedented scale, NGOs, youth groups, and independent journalists have emerged and are actively engaged in the civic life of Belarus.

The Advisory and Monitoring Group (AMG), under Ambassador Wieck's leadership, has made a significant contribution to this development, in large measure through its role in coordinating the domestic election observation effort. We consider this program a cornerstone for building democracy from the ground up.

Belarus has frequently expressed its desire for greater cooperation with the Advisory and Monitoring Group. We would urge Belarus to seize the moment to demonstrate its readiness to cooperate by working with the AMG to enhance its support for the emergence of a vibrant civil society.

We hope in the future the AMG and OSCE institutions will be in a position to report that the Belarusian Government has now joined its efforts to foster the development of this important segment of its society.

Mr. Chairman, I have sought today to give a positive response to Mr. Wieck’s report, but there is one issue here that cannot go unmentioned -- and that is the disappeared. I would ask my Belarusian colleague while he reports what is indeed a positive assessment and a positive opportunity for his government, also to underscore our continued interest in this issue as well.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.