Former Chairman of Permanent Council receives OSCE Medal

VIENNA, 6 February 2002 - Ambassador Liviu Bota, Head of the Permanent Mission of Romania to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and Chairman of the OSCE Permanent Council in 2001, has been awarded the OSCE Medal for his contribution to the Organization's activities and achievements.

Ambassador Joao de Lima Pimentel, the current Chairman of the Permanent Council and Head of the Portuguese OSCE Delegation, praised Ambassador Bota's role during 2001:

"He has played a very successful role during the Romanian Chairmanship of the OSCE, in chairing the OSCE Permanent Council and by his essential contribution to the results of the Bucharest Ministerial Council", Ambassador Pimentel said.

"The OSCE Medal was also awarded to Ambassador Bota due to his professional devotion to matters ultimately related to the defence and promotion of peace and human rights at the service of the United Nations and of the OSCE", Mr. Pimentel said.

During the formal handover of the Medal, the OSCE Secretary General, Ambassador Jan Kubis, congratulated Ambassador Bota for the "well-deserved" award.

Three persons so far have been awarded with the OSCE Medal, which was minted in 1997, in recognition of their distinguished contribution to the OSCE: Dr. Franz Vranitzky in 1997, for his service in Albania as the Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Jan Kubis in 1998, as the former Director of the Conflict Prevention Center and Mr. Max van der Stoel in 2000, as the then High Commissioner on National Minorities.