OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Austria’s Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl addresses Permanent Council

VIENNA, 21 December 2017 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Austria’s Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl addressed ambassadors and representatives of the OSCE’s participating States and Partners for Co-operation at the Permanent Council in Vienna today.

“It is a pleasure for me coming ‘home’,” she said. “I’ve been to the OSCE several times. Having been a lecturer in political science at various universities, I brought many students on visits to the OSCE: it is important to sensitize youth to what the Organization means, after all, they will be the leaders of tomorrow.”

“Over the past year Austria worked hard to foster open, constructive and respectful co-operation for the challenges facing us. As we saw earlier this month at the Vienna Ministerial Council, the OSCE with its specialized institutions and instruments remains a vital forum for dialogue,” she said. “Most of these challenges cannot be addressed by each state alone. Multilateral forums like the OSCE allow us to respond together – to succeed together.”

She said Austria would remain committed to the OSCE Chairmanship priorities it has pursued over the course of the year, including rebuilding trust between participating States. She called on all sides involved in a conflict and for those who have influence over actors on the ground to accept their responsibility to help reduce violence, increase dialogue and enable progress.

Following the address, Kneissl met with OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger.

“I thank Austria for its effective leadership of the OSCE and notable achievements over the course of this year. With the Austrian Chairmanship of the OSCE drawing to an end, we will continue to build on our close relationship,” said Secretary General Greminger. “As a member of the OSCE Troika, Chair of the OSCE Asian Contact Group in 2018 and as the host of the OSCE Secretariat, Austria will remain strongly and steadily engaged for the Organization. I look forward to working with Minister Karin Kneissl over the coming period.”  

Austria’s Chairmanship of the OSCE concludes on 31 December 2017, with Italy assuming the helm of the organization on 1 January 2018. As outgoing OSCE Chair, Austria will remain in the OSCE Troika next year, along with Italy and the 2019 Chair Slovakia.

Minister Kneissl took up the position of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on 18 December when she became Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria. She replaced Sebastian Kurz who became Federal Chancellor of Austria following parliamentary elections in the country in October.