European security, Georgia top agenda of Helsinki Ministerial Council, says OSCE Chairman-in-Office

HELSINKI, 3 December 2008 - Some 50 foreign ministers will be at the 4-5 December OSCE Ministerial Council in Helsinki, underscoring the importance of talks on European security and the region's protracted conflicts that will take place here, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said today.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of tomorrow's start of the Ministerial Council, Stubb said the 2008 Finnish OSCE Chairmanship and the Helsinki meeting were not "business as usual".

"For the first time in the history of the OSCE we have 50 ministers present here," he said, adding that the importance of the meeting was also evidenced by the 67 delegations, more than 1,200 delegates and 300 accredited journalists who are scheduled to attend. "I am looking forward to an eventful, exciting foreign ministers' meeting here in Helsinki."

Two big themes - the Caucasus, in particular Georgia, and European security - will top the agenda, according to the Chairman-in-Office. The Ministerial Council, held annually, is the central decision-making and governing body of the OSCE.

Stubb said he had discussed Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's proposal on a new European security pact - as well as French President Nicolas Sarkozy's suggestion to hold these discussions at an OSCE Summit - with counterparts and partners in the OSCE, including Russia, the United States and the EU.

"The reason I wanted to bring this to Helsinki is two-fold. The first one is that I think it is time to discuss European security, and the future of European security. If Russia comes forward with a constructive proposal we need to have a careful look at it and discuss it together. And the second reason is that I think there is only one place we can do it, and that is the OSCE," he said.

"If we come out of this meeting with a sense that we will renew and refresh the OSCE, I think we've already done a lot."

The Minister said that against this backdrop the Finnish Chairmanship would try to push through a "forward-looking" political declaration to be agreed by all 56 OSCE participating States, adding that the draft under discussion had been "well-received".

In addition the Chairmanship will seek agreement on two regional declarations, on Nagorno-Karabakh and Transdniestria, as well as on a dozen OSCE decisions on a range of topics. Stubb said he was hopeful for progress on a declaration on Nagorno-Karabakh.

Stubb held talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Brussels yesterday. They discussed the Ministerial Council agenda, and agreed that the guiding principles of the OSCE in all three dimensions of the Organization's work - the politico-military, economic and environmental, and human - must not be compromised.

Video of the news conference can be viewed here:
Press conference by OSCE Chairman-in-Office Alexander Stubb, 3 December 2008