25/08/2004 (Agence Europe) - Jan Petersen, Norwegian minister for foreign affairs and the acting president of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, launched an appeal to respect the cease-fire in Southern Ossetia. Reiterating in a declaration, the Council of Europe's support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its Member State, Georgia", Mr Petersen welcomed the ""positive sign" represented by the assertions from the president of Georgia's cabinet, according to which, the Georgian government was prepared to offer Southern Ossetia broad-based autonomy within a Georgian federal state, "dual citizenship and power sharing at a central government level". Mr Petersen, who repeated that the Council of Europe was prepared to offer its support and expertise to help the parties find solutions, welcomed the recent proposals from the Acting President of the OSCE (Organisations for Security and Co-ordination in Europe), the Bulgarian minister of foreign affairs, Solomon Passy, to contribute to such a solution. (EUROPE 24 August p 3).