VIENNA, 23 January 2012 - OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier met Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman in Vienna today to discuss Israel’s role as an OSCE Partner state, including concrete areas for co-operation.

Discussing the implications of developments in the Mediterranean region for the OSCE area, Zannier said: “the OSCE has recognized that the security of the OSCE area is inextricably linked with security in the regions of our Partners for Co-operation, and I welcome this opportunity to exchange views on developments in the region.”

They also discussed the decision taken by the 56 OSCE participating States at last month’s Vilnius Ministerial Council to further enhance political consultations and strengthen practical co-operation with the Partners for Co-operation.

Zannier said that the OSCE’s increasing focus on transnational threats could be one such area for enhanced co-operation: “As we strengthen the OSCE’s efforts to counter transnational threats, I appreciate Israel’s willingness to share its expertise on counter-terrorism and anti-trafficking.”

The OSCE’s Partners for Co-operation in the Mediterranean region are Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia.