ISTANBUL, 16 November 1999 -- The Forum for Security Co-operation of the Organization for Co-operation and Security in Europe (OSCE) in formal session in Istanbul today adopted the Vienna Document 1999 on the Negotiations on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures. This document is an amended version of the Vienna Document 1994.

The adoption of the Vienna Document 1999 marks the successful completion of three years of intense diplomatic negotiations. The document is an important step on the path towards achieving increased transparency in military matters among OSCE participating States. Moreover, the three-year negotiating process, which culminated today, has been an important review of a valuable set of OSCE confidence- and security-building measures.

The Vienna Document 1999 contains a significant number of changes and additions to the preceding document. Some of the confidence- and security-building measures of the Vienna Document 1994 have been improved upon and made more applicable to the changing military and technological environment.

A major addition in the Vienna Document 1999 is the chapter on regional measures, which encourages the OSCE participating States to undertake measures to increase transparency and confidence in a bilateral, multilateral or regional context.

MEDIA CONTACT: Mans Nyberg, OSCE press officer, Istanbul, (+90 212) 327 1129 or (+43) 664 133 7699.