OSCE the forum to discuss future of European security, says French Foreign Minister

VIENNA, 17 July 2008 - The OSCE is an indispensable and dynamic organization working for security in its region, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told the OSCE Permanent Council today in Vienna.

Kouchner, speaking on behalf of the French EU presidency, said that the international community needed to do more to resolve protracted conflicts, engage in Central Asia and Afghanistan, and support the work of the OSCE in Kosovo.

The Minister emphasized that the OSCE was the right forum to discuss Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's recent proposal for a European security pact.

"I know the discussions that are ongoing in the Organization. We have all listened to President Medvedev's proposal for a pact on European security. Since the first meeting, the OSCE has always been the place to have a debate on security, as we say spanning the area from Vancouver to Vladivostok," he said.

"It is crucial that these debates continue here in Vienna. These debates have to be closely linked to the debates that are ongoing in the EU, not just because the EU represents half the OSCE but because the two share the same values and principles."

On the region's protracted conflicts, Kouchner said that the situation in Georgia is increasingly tense. "We need to be more innovative and more dynamic, building new visions," he said.

The Minister also welcomed the OSCE's proposals for projects to enhance engagement with Afghanistan. He emphasized that the security of the country needed to be guaranteed to give the people of Afghanistan access to these projects.

Kouchner called on the participating States to uphold the founding principles of the OSCE and support its institutions, including the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

"The OSCE was based on the conviction that security went hand in hand with the promotion of human rights and democracy," he said. "We should not lose sight of this historic vision, which is the essential principle of our Organization, and also underpins the European Union. It is this principle that makes up our identity, not just for European citizens but for the whole world."

He warned, however, that there was a "roll back" in the protection of human rights and democracy in this region and elsewhere. "I know there is a regression and this is not acceptable, and we have to be very cautious about this current drift," he said.