Joint responses needed to promote stability in Europe and neighbouring regions, says NATO Secretary General at OSCE security conference

VIENNA, 30 June 2011 - NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen underscored the need for a comprehensive approach to security threats in Europe as well as in North Africa and the Middle East at the opening session of the OSCE’s Annual Security Review Conference in Vienna today.

He called for deepening co-operation between NATO and the OSCE to address challenges including Afghanistan, arms control, transnational threats and promoting democratic reforms.

“The OSCE is a crucial part of Europe’s security architecture. And NATO is another,” said Rasmussen. “We both share the aim expressed in last year’s Astana Declaration of building a ‘free, democratic, common and indivisible security community from Vancouver to Vladivostok’. A security community that must be rooted in agreed principles, shared commitments and common goals.”

State Secretary Kęstutis Jankauskas, representing Lithuania’s OSCE Chairmanship, said: “One of the important priorities of the Lithuanian Chairmanship is to enhance co-operation with other international and regional organizations, and to profile the OSCE as a suitable platform for dialogue and interaction between relevant international actors. Our meeting takes place within the larger context of a re-examination of the security landscape in the OSCE area. Therefore, ‘comparing notes’ with other security organizations on their perception of existing challenges to our common security, as well as on future trends, is of exceptional importance.”

In this regard, Rasmussen emphasized the need to co-ordinate and complement operations, including in Afghanistan, and to improve responses to transnational threats such as terrorism.

“Terrorism is another major issue that both NATO and the OSCE must deal with,” said Rasmussen. “We could consider joint training and education for our own staffs before we deploy them. We could reinforce our combined efforts on security sector reform. And we could broaden our co-operation to include training of security forces.”

On promoting democracy and human rights, Rasmussen addressed the importance of advancing democratic reforms in the OSCE area, as well as supporting partner countries and neighbouring regions, including North Africa and the Middle East.

“Since January this year, men and women across North Africa and the Middle East have shown real courage. They have cried out for freedom. And they have triggered a wave of change across their region, and beyond,” he said. “At NATO, we are actively considering just how we might respond to requests for help. The OSCE is also giving this careful thought.”

Rasmussen added: “The range of possibilities for practical support is wide.  But the intention must be the same. To enable – not to impose. To help build local capability – not international dependency.” 

“NATO and the OSCE have a shared past in making Europe more stable and secure. Our job now is to make tomorrow even more secure.”

The OSCE Annual Security Review Conference provides a framework for enhancing security dialogue and for reviewing security work undertaken by the OSCE and its 56 participating States.

As a regional arrangement under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, the OSCE serves as a forum for co-operation with regional and sub-regional organizations and initiatives in the OSCE area.

Recognizing that the “risks and challenges we face today cannot be met by a single State or Organization", the participating States in Istanbul in 1999 adopted the Platform for Co-operative Security to define the Organization’s work with international partners and acknowledge “the key integrating role that the OSCE can play”.