Mr. Chairman, I would like first to reiterate once again the United States' strong support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The United States takes strong exception to President Putin's much publicized September 11 statement threatening unilateral action against Chechen fighters and international terrorists in Georgia's Pankisi Gorge, should Georgia not take more active measures against these fighters. The U.S. responded immediately to this statement both through public declarations and high-level diplomatic channels, stating our unequivocal opposition to any unilateral Russian military action inside Georgian territory.

Our reaction is similar to the Russian appeal circulated to all OSCE participating States in Vienna two weeks ago. We have strongly urged Georgia to regain full control of the Pankisi Gorge region, where we too believe there are third- country terrorists with links to al-Qa’ida. These terrorists threaten not only Georgia’s security and political stability, but also that of the Russian Federation. We understand the Russian concerns, but we firmly believe that problems in the Pankisi Gorge should be addressed by the Georgian Government.

We fully support the continuing efforts of the Georgian authorities to clear the Chechen and other fighters from the area. To this end, we are working with the Georgian military, border guards, and law enforcement agencies to enhance Georgia’s capacity to provide effective border controls and internal security.

Mr. Chairman, the United States continues to encourage the Georgian and Russian governments to work together on all levels to promote regional security on their own respective territories, and to find negotiated political solutions to their various differences. I believe I can speak for my colleagues around the table in saying that we will all do whatever we can to support such efforts. This includes support for a team of OSCE Experts, including representatives of the Russian Federation, as suggested by the Georgian Ambassador.