OSCE can bring 'added value' to dialogue on European security challenges, says Romanian foreign minister

VIENNA, 30 April 2009 - The OSCE has a critical role to play in promoting democratization and building confidence to address regional challenges, Romanian Foreign Minister Cristian Diaconescu told the OSCE's Permanent Council today.

"Throughout the years, this Organization has managed to be more than a mere forum that provided us with avenues for dialogue," he said. "What made the OSCE stand out within the international institutional system is clearly its unchallenged capacity to generate confidence - whether we speak of building, sharing or consolidating it."

"The OSCE can make a major difference in assisting States in laying and developing the foundations of a democratic society. Romania took full advantage of this OSCE expertise in our transition to a democratic society," he added.

The Minister discussed the OSCE's role in the resolution of protracted conflicts. "The OSCE has earned itself an uncontested position of leadership when it comes to confidence building, and outcome for which we should not forget that engagement in good faith is a prerequisite. And it goes hand in hand with conflict prevention and settlement," he said.

On Transnistria, he welcomed an initiative of the OSCE and the Greek OSCE Chairmanship to organize a seminar on confidence- and security-building measures in the military field.

He also supported the Chairmanship's efforts to find a solution for continuing an OSCE presence in Georgia. "We should seek to avoid keeping it hostage to 'realities' that have been imposed unilaterally and artificially," he said.

On the future of European security, Diaconescu welcomed the Greek OSCE Chairmanship's efforts to facilitate a comprehensive debate in the framework of the OSCE.

"In Romania's point of view, any such debate should cast no doubt on the efficiency of the existing security arrangements," he said. "The existing institutions and structures have indeed served us well, and our priority should be to seek ways for strengthening them. A better use of existing mechanisms at our disposal would have allowed for some recent crises to be avoided."

"Full respect for the principles of the Helsinki Final Act and the Paris Charter must remain the core of the European system and international law order," he added.

Romania chairs the Economic and Environmental Committee of the OSCE, and Diaconescu emphasized the importance of using the OSCE as a platform for dialogue on energy security, migration management and climate change.

The Permanent Council is a decision-making body of the 56-country OSCE. It meets weekly in Vienna to discuss developments in the OSCE area and to take appropriate decisions.