OSCE Chairman calls for close dialogue with the Central European Initiative

PIESTANY, Slovakia, 25 November 2005 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, said on Friday that the Central European Initiative (CEI) would continue to play an important role as a facilitator of European unity.

Minister Rupel, who spoke at the annual summit meeting of the CEI member States, called the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe a "natural partner" of the CEI and said: "Co-operation between our organizations has been fruitful in the past, and we need to continue our close dialogue on the situation in the region, new developments in the process of EU integration and the construction of a stable and prosperous Europe".

"CEI countries could benefit even more from the expertise the OSCE offers in its political-military, economic and environmental and human dimensions," added the Chairman-in-Office.

"Our region has probably profited the most from changes in Europe in the past 15 years. We need to build on this growth in order to expand the zone of prosperity and co-operation. The CEI and OSCE remain vital tools in this process. They deserve continued support."

The CEI was the first regional co-operation forum embracing Central, South-Eastern and Eastern European countries, established with the aim of helping them to come closer to European standards and to assist them in the process of their preparation for EU membership.

The OSCE is on the ground in 11 out of 17 CEI countries, either with field missions or by its central bodies, and has been very active in providing assistance in institution building, law enforcement, media freedom, rule of law, human rights and police training.

"I would like to see this go even farther, for example in issues like migration and integration, border management, and inter-cultural dialogue," added the Chairman-in-Office.