OSCE Chairman underlines importance of reform during visit to Moscow

MOSCOW, 13 July 2005 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, discussed international terrorism, developments in Central Asia and Moldova and OSCE reform with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Wednesday.

"Russia plays a vital role in the OSCE and we need you, like all States, to feel a sense of ownership in the Organization," he said.

The work of the OSCE Panel of Eminent Persons was underlined as a good basis for reforming the OSCE. The Chairman-in-Office outlined his ideas on following up the Panel's report through high-level consultations in the run-up to the Ministerial Council in Ljubljana in December.

On the issue of scales of contribution to the OSCE budget, Minister Rupel urged his Russian counterpart to take a pragmatic and step-by-step approach.

The Chairman-in-Office said last week's attacks in London demonstrated that terrorism remained the greatest threat to European security. "I appreciate Russia's active role in the fight against terrorism and its initiatives in bringing forward ideas that result in strengthening the OSCE's work in this area."

Minister Rupel said security in Central Asia as a whole, and the Fergana valley in particular, was of concern to all 55 OSCE participating States.

On Uzbekistan, he renewed his call for an independent international enquiry into the recent killing of demonstrators in Andijan by security forces.

"Of course we need to combat terrorism and threats to security in this region, but this should not come at the expense of human rights," the Chairman-in-Office said. "As a community, we in the OSCE need to send consistent and coherent messages and to maintain open channels of communication with Uzbekistan."

He expressed the hope that OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut would soon visit Taskhent.

Minister Rupel said he hoped last Sunday's presidential election in Kyrgyzstan would help the country on the road to stability and peaceful, democratic development.

On Moldova, the Chairman in Office called for a renewal of negotiations and cited the possibility of reconciling elements of proposals made by Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

Other issues discussed included Kosovo and Russia's relations with Latvia and Estonia.