"I would like to thank you for the cooperation and for inviting me to monitor the presidential elections. We will do the utmost to ensure the transparent monitoring of the January 5 elections," said head of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights observation mission, Dieter Boden during his meeting with Georgia's acting president Nino Burjanadze.

Issues of the lead-up to the presidential elections were discussed at the meeting. Nino Burjanadze informed Mr. Boden of the activities the government is planning to undergo to ensure the transparent and democratic pre-election period. She also talked about her meeting with governors and about her instructions to avoid provocations throughout Georgia during the pre-election period, to ensure equal treatment of all the presidential candidates, and to hold elections in a stable environment.

Nono Burjanadze advised Mr. Boden of her initiative regarding the holding of telephone conversations with Georgia's friendly countries' parliament speakers and addressing them with a request to send as many observes to Georgia as possible.

"We together should not spare our efforts to ensure holding the democratic elections," said Dieter Boden.

press Office
of the President of Georgia