VIENNA, 25 June 2012 – The OSCE Annual Security Review Conference, which this year aims to take stock of the work undertaken by the OSCE participating States in building a security community, will start in Vienna on Tuesday, 26 June 2012.

The three-day event will bring together high-level participants from 56 OSCE participating States and international/regional organizations who will discuss security matters of shared concern, related to transnational threats and challenges, arms control and confidence- and security-building measures, engagement with OSCE Partners for Co-operation in the Mediterranean and Asian regions, as well as conflict prevention and resolution.

Among keynote speakers in the opening session of the conference will be Deputy Secretary General for the European External Action Service Helga Schmid, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Grushko, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US State Department Eric Rubin, Director General for International Security Affairs at the Foreign Ministry of Turkey Ambassador Bülent Meriç and the OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier. Ambassador Eoin O’Leary, the Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council, representing the Irish 2012 OSCE Chairmanship will also take part in the opening session.

Journalists are invited to attend the opening session starting at 10.00, on Tuesday, 26 June, in the Hofburg Congress Centre's Neuer Saal.

The closing session at 12.30, on Thursday, 28 June, will also be open to the press.