Chairmanship countries pledge enhanced co-ordination to strengthen OSCE

HELSINKI, 2 June 2008 - High-level representatives from the five countries holding the 2007-2011 OSCE Chairmanships met today at the invitation of this year's OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, to discuss enhanced co-ordination and common priority areas.

The 'Quintet' of Spain, Finland, Greece, Kazakhstan and Lithuania convened for an informal meeting in Helsinki on 1 and 2 June. At the Madrid Ministerial Council last November, the 56 OSCE participating States agreed that Greece, Kazakhstan and Lithuania will hold the OSCE Chairmanship for 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively, following Finland's term in 2008.

"In addition to old threats like the unresolved conflicts, the OSCE faces new challenges and goals in the 21st century, and the enhanced continuity and co-ordination made possible by the Madrid agreement on the future Chairmanships is both an achievement and an opportunity for this Organization," said Foreign Minister Stubb.

"The Finnish Chairmanship has emphasized continuity, coherence and co-operation, and this meeting is an important step towards achieving those three 'Cs' over the long term."

The Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan and Lithuania, Marat Tazhin and Petras Vaitiekunas, Spanish Secretary of State Angel Lossada, who represented the 2007 Chairmanship, and Special Envoy Christos Zacharakis, who represented the incoming Greek Chairmanship, attended the meeting.

The Quintet reaffirmed the OSCE's comprehensive approach to security, and stressed the equal importance of OSCE activities to strengthen political-military co-operation, foster better economic and environmental governance, and to support human rights and democratic institutions.

They agreed on the importance of the OSCE role in conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation, and pledged to intensify efforts to settle the protracted conflicts in the OSCE area. The Quintet also agreed on the importance of multi-year planning for the coherence of the Organization's activities, including in such priority areas as OSCE engagement with Afghanistan, border security and management, combating terrorism, small arms and light weapons and conventional ammunition stockpiles, tolerance and non-discrimination, gender, economic and environmental challenges, combating trafficking in human beings, and strenghtening dialogue with the Organization's Partners for Co-operation.

The Quintet Ministers urged the OSCE participating States to work with them in further strengthening the OSCE's capacity to act. The Quintet also agreed on the importance of granting the OSCE a legal personality.

Finnish President Tarja Halonen welcomed the Ministers and representatives attending the Helsinki meeting. She said that she saw the OSCE's comprehensive approach to security and its inclusiveness as unique sources of strength for the Organization.

OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut and the OSCE's Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Eva Biaudet, participated in the meeting. The Finnish Chairmanship also invited Goran Lennmarker, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, to attend the meeting.

The Quintet Ministers welcomed the positive outcome of the meeting and agreed to continue their forward looking discussions at a second meeting of the Quintet, which will be held on the sidelines of the Helsinki Ministerial Council, on 4 and 5 December.