Heads of state and high-level diplomats from the 56 OSCE member countries are gathered in Astana, Kazakhstan for a two-day summit, which is the first of this type since 1999 Istanbul summit.

The Astana Summit on December 1-2 brought together 38 heads of states and governments, and other senior officials – Georgian and Russian Presidents, Mikheil Saakashvili and Dmitri Medvedev, respectively, among them.

Georgian diplomats said “a very intensive and difficult” work was ongoing in Astana on the draft of final declaration of the summit - OSCE decision-making process requires the consensus of all 56 member states.

“It will be very difficult to reach a consensus, taking into consideration the fact that the country [Russia] with which we have tense relations is also an OSCE member. A very difficult work is underway in Astana right now on the draft of final document,” Nino Kalandadze, the Georgian deputy foreign minister, said in Tbilisi on November 30.

Grigol Vashadze, the Georgian foreign minister, told Georgian reporters in Astana, that Tbilisi would not support a text if it failed to reflect Georgia’s interests.

Meanwhile, in his speech at summit on Wednesday morning the French Prime Minister, François Fillon, reiterated support to Georgia’s territorial integrity and called “on the parties” to fully implement August 12 and September 8, 2008 ceasefire agreements.

“We salute the solemn undertaking given by the President of Georgia before the European Parliament to refrain from the use of force and we call on all the parties to accept this open hand,” the French PM said.

Direct link to the news