OSCE's 2003 Mediterranean Seminar opens with calls for closer co-operation on security issues

AQABA, 20 October 2003 - A two-day international seminar on comprehensive security issues and the Mediterranean region, held by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), began today in Aqaba, Jordan.

Among the 120 participants are representatives from the 55 OSCE participating States, the Organization's six Mediterranean and four Asian Partners for Co-operation, as well as from international organizations such as the United Nations and the League of Arab States.

In his opening address, Jordan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Shaher Bak, said: "The experience of the OSCE in the last three decades provides a good model to the countries of our region in their efforts towards bringing about comprehensive security.

"The OSCE commitment in principle to security in the Mediterranean region should be translated into more concrete measures," he added. "There is a need to intensify the dialogue between participating countries and the Mediterranean Partners, and to have better exposure of the OSCE to a wider audience in the Middle East."

In his contribution, Solomon Passy, Bulgaria's Foreign Minister and the incoming OSCE Chairman-in-Office, said he appreciated the OSCE Mediterranean Seminar was being held again in one of the Mediterranean Partner States after four years.

"We, as the OSCE, have to talk more with the Mediterranean Partners," he said. "The need to address the new type of threats - originating from terrorism, organized crime, the existence of civic conflicts, xenophobia, racism, discrimination, illicit trafficking of human beings, of arms and drugs - unites the OSCE participating States and their partners from the Mediterranean.

"We believe that outreach - the transmission of OSCE experience in specific realms at the request of partner states - constitutes an important new element of our co-operation. We hope that the Maastricht Ministerial meeting will open the doors of the Permanent Council for the Partners to be present at all its meetings", he added.

Focusing on how the OSCE could reach out, Daan Everts, Personal Representative of the current Netherlands OSCE Chairmanship, urged the participants to analyze how the Organization's experiences could be applied in the Mediterranean Partner States.

"Could you employ a High Commissioner on National Minorities and a Representative on Freedom of the Media? How much of Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights' election activities suits your needs? There is enough substance before the OSCE that should entice the Partner countries to move closer to us," he said.

OSCE Secretary General, Jan Kubis, announced that the first such outreach activity of this kind was envisaged to take place in a few months in Algeria, involving the Maghreb countries in the topic, 'Freedom and Responsibility: the Media'."

Bruce George, President of the OSCE's Parliamentary Assembly, called in his speech for the promotion of security and co-operation in the Mediterranean region through a comprehensive process of enhanced dialogue, economic co-operation and intercultural exchanges.

"Security in the OSCE area is ultimately linked to security in the Mediterranean area," he said. "I believe there is growing awareness in the OSCE that only a free, democratic, prosperous and undivided Europe will be able to promote security, stability and prosperity, and also that European security will benefit from positive developments in other regions, including the Mediterranean."

The OSCE's Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation comprise Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. The Mediterranean Seminar, held every year, is seen as an important instrument for dialogue, co-operation and joint activities between the OSCE and these neighbouring countries.