OSCE Chairman calls on participating States to break deadlock of mistrust

VIENNA, 29 October 2009 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Greek Prime Minister and Foreign Minister George Papandreou, called on OSCE participating States today to invigorate co-operation and solidarity to address prevailing tensions.

In a video address to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, Prime Minister Papandreou identified mistrust as one of the main challenges the Organization faces.

"Irrespective of the diverging views on the root causes of tensions, we need to break the deadlock of mistrust. We must do so by invigorating co-operation and solidarity. And we must do so, because instability between our neighbouring states, and thus security in Europe, is closely interlinked with the security in our neighbouring regions," Papandreou said in his first speech to the OSCE since taking over as Chairman-in-Office on 6 October.

He described the Corfu Process - the OSCE-anchored dialogue on the future of European security - as an important collective achievement. Despite "tremendous progress", the "Europe free, whole and in peace" envisioned by OSCE participating States when they agreed on the Paris Charter in 1990 still remains elusive, he said.

"There cannot be lasting peace in the OSCE region as long as we continue to view our relations through a zero-sum lens. Our wins should be victories for all; one's losses should be a loss for the many," Papandreou said. "This is the solidarity we need to achieve."

The Chairman-in-Office also referred to protracted conflicts, saying that "they are potential sources of discord, and we cannot afford to leave them on the back burner. The war in Georgia has proven this point".

He stressed that people living in areas affected by protracted conflicts "need peace and stability, not a fragile status quo".

"The Greek Chairmanship has spared no effort in searching for ways to ensure that the OSCE remains engaged in Georgia, especially in the conflict-affected areas. And we will continue to keep trying," he said.

The OSCE Mission to Georgia closed earlier this year because there was no consensus among OSCE participating States to renew its mandate.

Looking ahead to the 1-2 December OSCE Ministerial Council in Athens, Papandreou said the meeting would be an opportunity to "make a fresh start and revitalize the spirit of Helsinki". The Helsinki Final Act of 1975 laid the foundation for what today is the OSCE.

The Permanent Council is one of the OSCE's decision-making bodies. It convenes weekly in Vienna to discuss developments in the OSCE area and to make appropriate decisions.