Under Austria’s 2018 Chairmanship of the OSCE Asian Contact Group, Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl to open high-level conference on Asia Pacific in Vienna next week

VIENNA, 9 May 2018 – Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl will open the high-level conference on “Effective Multilateralism in a Globalized World – The Case of Europe and Asia Pacific” on 16 May 2018 in Vienna.

Reflecting the OSCE’s inclusive security approach, the conference will focus on multilateral security mechanisms in Europe and the Asia Pacific region, as well as on economic connectivity and co-operation. A side-event will look into ways of effectively fighting against trafficking in Human Beings in the region with Madina Jarbussynova, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Geoffrey Shaw, Australian Government Ambassador for People Smuggling and Human Trafficking, and Hannes Schreiber, Head of Division for Asylum, Migration, Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, MFA Austria.

Kneissl’s keynote speech on the role of effective multilateralism in our two regions will be followed by high-level opening statements by OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger, Director General of the Office of the UN in Vienna and UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov tbc, Director General of the IAEO, Yukiya Amano tbc, Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia Natalia Gherman, and CTBTO Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo.

The discussion will focus on “Regional approaches to security in Europe and Asia” and “Towards a Common Economic Space: how to enhance economic connectivity and cooperation between the Euro-Atlantic and the Eurasian-Pacific Area.”

Further information about the conference as well as the draft agenda can be found online:  https://www.osce.org/partners-for-cooperation/asian/380467

Media representatives are invited to cover the Conference on 16 May from 09:00 to 16:00 at the Palais Niederösterreich, Herrengasse 13, 1010 Vienna (first floor).

Media representatives wishing to cover this event must register by sending an e-mail to pk-anmeldungen@bmeia.gv.at by 17:00, Tuesday, 15 May 2018. Registered media representatives must bring a photo ID in order to gain access to the conference venue.

Contacts

Communication and Media Relations Section

OSCE Secretariat

Phone: + 43 676 71 74 592

press@osce.org

Helene Spitzer

Press Officer

Ministry of Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria

Office: +43 (0) 50 11 50 33 95

helene.spitzer@bmeia.gv.at