BULGARIA: U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL CALLS FOR FAIR AND FREE OUTCOME IN DISPUTED UKRAINIAN ELECTIONS AT OSCE CONFERENCE IN BULGARIA

Record ID: 222952

  • Title: BULGARIA: U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL CALLS FOR FAIR AND FREE OUTCOME IN DISPUTED UKRAINIAN ELECTIONS AT OSCE CONFERENCE IN BULGARIA
  • Date: 7th December 2004
  • Summary: (W4) SOFIA, BULGARIA (DECEMBER 7, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. SLV EXTERIOR OF PALACE OF CULTURE 0.03 2. CLOSE OF OSCE BANNER 0.05 3. SLV SECURITY 0.07 4. LV INTERIOR OF OSCE CONFERENCE 0.10 5. SLV/SV CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (2 SHOTS) 0.14 6. MCU OSCE CHAIRMAN INTRODUCING US SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL 0.19 7. SV/MCU (English) COLIN POWELL SAYING: "I want to thank Solomon for serving so successfully as chariman in office, the U.S. looks forward to next years chairman in office, the minister who we see here today from Slovenia."/RUSSIAN FEDERATION DELEGARION LISTENING (3 SHOTS) 0.33 8. LV OF CONFERENCE (2 SHOTS) 0.37 9. SLV/SV NEWS CONFERENCE BY US SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL AND OSCE CHAIR/BULGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SOLOMON PASSY (2 SHOTS) 0.47 10. SV MEDIA/PASSY PRESENTS BULGARIAN SWORD TO POWELL (2 SHOTS) 1.04 11. MCU (English) COLIN POWELL SAYING: "This is especially important today as we view the events in the Ukraine, in Kiev, today I join my colleagues in voicing support for Ukraine's independence for its territorial integrity and sovereignty, we all back the democratic process that is underway and we are looking for an outcome that reflects the true will of the Ukrainian people" 1.25 12. CU (English) COLIN POWELL SAYING: "Today my colleagues in in our meetings wills support the appointments of OSCE special representatives to combat anti semitism and discrimination against Muslims, these representatives will build on the good work of the OSCE to raise the profile of the fight against intolerance. "The work of the OSCE will not be finished until we achieve the vision of a true transatlantic community of 55 nations." 1.55 13. SV CAMERAS 1.58 14. MCU (English) COLIN POWELL SAYING: "We are moving forward to have those elections on the 30th of January, President Gazi is in Washington today and has reaffirmed it. Prime Minister Allawi has reaffirmed it, the UN is hard at work but more importantly election officials are hard at work and voter lists are being prepared the challenge of course is security and our military forces and coalition forces are increasing their capabilities to ensure that a secure environment is created for those elections, its important that those election go forward as scheduled on the 30th of January." 2.38 15. SV OF PRESS CONFERENCE 2.40 16. SLV (English) COLIN POWELL SAYING: "We have been pressing the Libyans on every occasion to resolve the question and release the Bulgarian nurses, we have seen some recent statements and I don't know if that represents a change but we will continue to push them to change their position." 3.11 17. SLV COLIN POWELL LEAVING 3.18 18. SLV/MCU OF COLIN POWELL MEETING BULGARIAN PRESIDENT SIMEON SAXE COBURG (3 SHOTS) 3.32 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 22nd December 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SOFIA, BULGARIA
  • Country: Bulgaria
  • Reuters ID: LVAIY247A983DXVMYUL5BZKE9F6
  • Story Text: Speaking at OSCE conference in Bulgaria, U.S.

    Secretary of State Colin Powell calls for fair and free
    outcome in disputed Ukrainian elections.




    The Organization for Security and Cooperation in
    Europe had said it will considering doubling the number of
    its international monitors for Ukraine's repeat
    presidential election December 26, amid calls for the
    transatlantic, pan-European organization to go all-out to
    help.

    Outgoing US Secretary of State Powell, making perhaps his
    final official trip abroad, arrived in Sofia late Monday to
    press Washington's position on Ukraine in Tuesday meetings
    with Lavrov and others.

    Speaing after addressing a morning OSCE plenary session
    on Tuesday (December 7) morning, Powell made yet another
    call for a free and fair outcome to the disputed vote.

    "As we view the events in the Ukraine, in Kiev, today I
    join my colleagues in voicing support for Ukraine's
    independence for its territorial integrity and
    sovereignty, we all back the democratic process that is
    underway and we are looking for an outcome that reflects
    the true will of the Ukrainian people", he told
    journalists.

    The statement at the conference comes after Russia
    stepped up its criticism of the West for an alleged
    double-standard in dealing with former communist states
    like Ukraine.

    In an interview with a Moscow newspaper, deputy
    foreign minister Vladimir Chikov accused the OSCE of
    hypocrisy by concentrating on election irregularities in
    Ukraine while ignoring similar problems in the United
    States.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West
    against attempts to sow divisions in Ukraine and elsewhere
    in the former Soviet Union, describing such efforts as
    "counterproductive" and destabilizing.

    Ministers addressing the OSCE session Monday made
    clear however the organization's commitment to help out in
    Ukraine.

    OSCE chairman Solomon Passy, the Bulgarian foreign
    minister, urged the OSCE, whose monitors were key in
    documenting the widespread fraud and bias in the
    now-cancelled November 21 presidential runoff vote in
    Ukraine, to send observer teams for the December 26
    election.

    European Commissioner for external relations Benita
    Ferrero-Waldner said both the East and West should "be
    pulling together in one direction" to help Ukraine "find a
    swift way out of the crisis while ensuring that democratic
    principles prevail and helping to preserve Ukraine's
    territorial integrity, unity and sovereignty."
    OSCE officials say they expect to send about 1,000
    observers to monitor the third round of voting, up from the
    some 500 who monitored the first election.

    Meanwhile, Russian objections to OSCE criticism of its
    role in crises in Moldova and Georgia may block a joint
    ministerial declaration Tuesday that could comment on
    Ukraine as well as reforms aimed at making the OSCE, which
    was created during the Cold War to bridge the gap between
    the East and the West, more adapted to the current age of
    global terrorism, diplomats said.


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