OSCE Chairman-in-Office completes Central Asia visit in Turkmenistan

ASHGABAD, 5 November 2002 - The OSCE is paying increased attention to Central Asia, the Chairman-in-Office (CiO), Portugal's Foreign Minister Antonio Martins da Cruz, stressed in the Turkmen capital Ashgabad, after completing a four-day trip to the region which took in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

"The Organization's primary objective is promoting and enhancing regional security and stability, promoting democracy, rule of law and market economy", he said.

During his stay in Ashgabad, the CiO expressed the OSCE's appreciation for Turkmenistan's contribution to the common fight against terrorism, its very active co-operation with the international community in delivering humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and in rebuilding the economy of this country.

His talks with Turkmenistan's Foreign Minister, Rashid Meredow, focused on security and co-operation. Both sides agreed on strengthening and expanding the existing co-operation between the Organization and Turkmenistan in all three dimensions of the OSCE, including through the projects of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabad. Possible new projects in the economic and environmental field, as well as in other fields, were discussed.

Touching on some specific challenges faced by Turkmen society, in particular, education, freedom of the media, respect of minority rights, the CiO expressed his belief that positive developments in the field of democratization and human rights would open a new page in the history of relations between the OSCE and Turkmenistan.

Answering questions from journalists, Foreign Minister Martins da Cruz assessed his visits to the Central Asian participating States as very useful and co-operative. The OSCE encourages Central Asian governments in their efforts toward democracy, the rule of law and market economy, he stressed.