OSCE Chairperson Dačić addresses Collective Security Treaty Organization meeting in Dushanbe

DUSHANBE, 2 April 2015 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić today told the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), meeting in Dushanbe, that the OSCE shared its goal of contributing to security and stability in Central Asia and aimed for closer co-operation.

The crisis in and around Ukraine had a serious impact on security and stability in the OSCE area, Dačić noted.  As the crisis brought many questions about the post-Cold War European order there is a need to intensify efforts to utilize the OSCE as a forum for inclusive dialogue and a tool for engagement, he said.

Economic co-operation in the region and a trend towards joint infrastructure projects could all serve as a basis for constructive and mutually beneficial relations in Central Asia, said Dačić. “The OSCE is ready to strengthen its role as a platform for practical co-operation and dialogue among all the partners in the region,” he stressed.

The OSCE had an essential interest in strengthening co-operation and knowledge exchange with the CTSO and other international and regional organizations in Central Asia, noted Dačić, especially on issues related to the long-term development needs of the region and challenges associated with Afghanistan.

Dačić commended co-operation between the CSTO and the OSCE Border Management Staff College, one of the biggest OSCE projects in Central Asia. The College effectively tackled some of the key cross border challenges such as terrorism, organized crimes and illicit trafficking of human beings, he said.