New OSCE Chairperson emphasizes human rights during meetings with heads of OSCE institutions, field operations

VIENNA, 14 January 2011 – The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis, stressed Lithuanian Chairmanship’s commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms in meetings with heads of OSCE institutions and field missions during a visit to Vienna which concluded today.

Ažubalis met with the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) Janez Lenarčič, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović and the High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek, as well as with the Heads of OSCE field operations from South-Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Eastern Europe to discuss action plans and events of the OSCE institutions for 2011.

“We will strive to further enhance the ability of the OSCE institutions and all the field operations to carry out their mandates,” he said. 

Ažubalis said the Lithuanian Chairmanship would advance human rights, including the safety of journalists, freedom of expression and pluralism in the new media in the whole OSCE area. He also emphasized the importance of education to promote tolerance. 

He said the Lithuanian Chairmanship would work to protect the Copenhagen principles and support the work of OSCE institutions in preserving the principles, which comprise wide-reaching commitments in the field of human rights. This represents an essential element of ensuring comprehensive security and effectively addressing protracted conflicts and other challenges in the whole OSCE area, including Moldova and Georgia, as well as Kyrgyzstan. Tangible progress in addressing protracted conflicts is one of the priorities of Lithuania’s OSCE Chairmanship for 2011. 

Discussing the situation around the OSCE Office in Minsk, Ažubalis emphasized that OSCE institutions should intensify their engagement with Belarusian authorities and stimulate the government’s engagement with civil society.