Spirit of inclusiveness, transparency and co-operation to guide Slovakia’s Chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation, says State Secretary Parízek

VIENNA, 17 January 2018 - A spirit of inclusiveness, transparency and co-operation will guide the work of Slovakia’s Chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation, said State Secretary of the country’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Lukáš Parízek at the Forum in Vienna today.

Addressing the representatives of participating States, Parízek, who also acts as a Special representative for the Slovak OSCE Chairmanship stressed that the OSCE is built on the understanding that in our current globalized and interconnected world, the challenges we face cannot be addressed individually, but rather through sincere co-operation and dialogue.

“Peaceful settlement is the only solution to the ongoing conflicts in Europe. Unfortunately, the lack of genuine dialogue together with the absence of political will to cope with these challenges are the reasons that hold us back,” he said, adding that there needs to be a readiness for compromise from all participating States.

Parízek noted that as an immediate neighbour of Ukraine, Slovakia remains gravely distressed by the situation in the east of the country. “We will support any feasible political proposals that will lead to peaceful settlement in the Donbass region allowing civilians to return to their normal life,” he added.

Slovakia will chair the Forum during the first trimester of 2018, until the end of the Easter recess. Among Slovak priorities he highlighted the country‘s interest to facilitate and further advance the ongoing work on modernizing the Vienna Document, which serves as a core of  OSCE’s set of confidence and security-building measures.

During his opening remarks the Special representative pointed out that the Forum for Security Co-operation under the Slovak Chairmanship will also focus on the work related to projects on the implementation on small arms and light weapons (SALW) and stockpiles of conventional ammunition (SCA) documents; the reliability of military information; international efforts to tackle the illicit spread of weapons of mass destruction; and regional synergies in military affairs.

Welcoming accomplishments of the outgoing Forum Chair Serbia, Parízek stressed the importance of Slovakia’s Chairmanship of the FSC in a period when Slovakia also enters the OSCE Troika, ahead of its 2019 Chairmanship of the OSCE. On the margins of the meeting Parízek met the Italian Permanent Representative to exchange views with Italy’s Chairmanship of the OSCE, and discuss current developments in the OSCE region.