OSCE, Council of Europe co-operation essential for European security, says Slovene Foreign Minister

VIENNA, 4 June 2009 - Challenges to democracy, human rights and the rule of law demand that organizations such as the Council of Europe and the OSCE work together, Slovene Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar told the OSCE's Permanent Council today.

Zbogar, who also is Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, said strengthening co-operation with other international organizations, particularly the OSCE, was a priority of the Slovene Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers.

"Co-operation between the Council of Europe and the OSCE is of crucial importance in achieving long-term and sustainable security and stability in Europe," he said. "Both organizations - despite the differences in organizational structure and membership - are based on the same values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. These values are essential in the upgrading of European security.

"The challenges to the values that our organizations defend are so numerous that we must act in a co-ordinated manner to pool our respective expertise and strengths and thus reinforce each other."

Zbogar noted that the two organizations already had established close contacts and co-operated in areas such as election monitoring.

"Let me in this connection emphasize that the Slovene Chairmanship of the Council highly values the work performed by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, especially its methodology and its professionalism," he said.

The Permanent Council is one of the 56-country OSCE's main, regular decision-making bodies. It convenes weekly in Vienna to discuss developments in the OSCE area and to take decisions.