OSCE Chairman seeks support from Summit meeting of Commonwealth of Independent States

SOFIA, 16 September 2004 - In an address sent to the Presidents of the Commonwealth of Independent States, meeting in Kazakhstan, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, sought their support in reaching an agreement on initiatives to provide new vitality for the OSCE.

"These will add significance to the role of the countries of your region in the overall range of OSCE activities", the Minister wrote. Relations between the OSCE and the CIS had particular importance for both organizations.

"In the aftermath of the horrifying terrorist acts in the OSCE area, the OSCE must strengthen its response to international terrorism and other threats to security and stability", he said. "I look forward to your analyses and suggestions on how to enhance the OSCE contribution to this common endeavour and build upon the current relationship between the OSCE and the CIS."

Referring to an earlier "declaration" on reform of the OSCE - adopted in Moscow on 3 July by a number of CIS countries - the Chairman-in-Office said he had already written to all the Foreign Ministers of the 55 OSCE States, expressing the Chairmanship's position and calling for an exchange of opinions on the issues raised.

"I hope that the issues you raised [then], as well as other existing challenges that the OSCE faces today, will be thoroughly discussed and appropriate answers will be found in the run-up to the Sofia Ministerial Council" [in December 2004].

Minister Passy specified several initiatives on which he sought CIS support:

• convening future meetings of the OSCE Economic Forum in Central Asia;
• convening the annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in the Caucasus;
• strengthening the political role of the Chairman-in-Office and the Secretary General, as well as the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly;
• allocating increasing budgetary resources to activities and projects implemented in the countries of Central Asia and in the Caucasus.

He advocated more active participation of CIS countries in shaping the future of the OSCE, including taking on the role of Chairman-in-Office, as well as holding important positions within the Secretariat, OSCE institutions and field missions.

He also sought support from the CIS on reforming the basis on which the OSCE is financed and welcomed greater personal involvement in the OSCE agenda: "This will greatly help to make the OSCE an even more valuable and important Organization."