Lithuanian OSCE Chairmanship concludes discussion series with seminar on security community

The concluding seminar in the “V to V Dialogue” series of expert seminars organized by the Lithuanian OSCE Chairmanship began in Kahlenberg, near Vienna, on 14 December 2011. The one-day event, entitled "Towards a Genuine Security Community", aims to evaluate the progress made by the OSCE in 2011 towards implementing the vision of a Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security community, endorsed by the OSCE Heads of State and Government at their Summit in Astana last year, and identify the challenges ahead.

The Permanent Representatives of the OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation in Vienna, the OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier, and heads of institutions and other executive structures as well as representatives of leading international think tanks are taking part in the seminar.

Speakers include Dmitri Trenin of the Moscow Carnegie Center, James Sherr of Chatham House, Lars-Erik Lundin of the Institute for Security and Development Policy in Stockholm, Michael Haltzel of the Center for Transatlantic Relations and other experts from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Rytis Paulauskas, the Head of the Lithuanian OSCE Chairmanship Task Force, said: "Today’s event will enable us to measure the progress we have been able to make collectively towards the noble and challenging objective set by the Astana Summit, identify the shortcomings and evaluate how far we have succeeded in laying the foundations for the work of future Chairmanships."

The organization of the V to V Dialogue (Vancouver to Vladivostok via Vienna and Vilnius) has been supported throughout the year by the Vienna office of the US-based International Peace Institute. The seminar will be followed by the concluding cultural event of the Lithuanian OSCE Chairmanship.