News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
As OSCE Office in Minsk closes, OSCE Chairperson expresses regrets, says efforts to enable OSCE work in Belarus continue
Publishing date: 31 March 2011
VILNIUS, 31 March 2011 – The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis, today said that he deeply regretted that despite numerous efforts by the Chairmanship, Belarus' authorities had not reconsidered their decision not to join consensus on the extension of the mandate of the OSCE Office in Minsk...
OSCE Chairmanship welcomes comprehensive reform initiative in Morocco, outlines potential for OSCE support
Publishing date: 25 March 2011
VIENNA, 25 March 2011 – The Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council, Ambassador Renatas Norkus, speaking on behalf of the Lithuanian OSCE Chairmanship, today welcomed the comprehensive democratic reform initiative announced by His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, earlier this month, and underscored the readiness of the OSCE community to share its own experience and expertise in democratic reform processes with the Organization’s Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation...
Participants at OSCE meeting call for more decisive steps to confront anti-Semitism in public discourse
Publishing date: 23 March 2011
PRAGUE, 23 March 2011 – Participants at an OSCE meeting in Prague on confronting anti-Semitism in public discourse today called for more decisive steps to counter expressions of intolerance and hatred while preserving the freedom of speech...
Snipers must be withdrawn to avoid further incidents on line of contact, says OSCE Chairperson during visit to Armenia
Publishing date: 18 March 2011
YEREVAN, 18 March 2011- The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis, in Yerevan today, urged the authorities to work towards progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process and called for both sides to immediately withdraw snipers from the line of contact...
OSCE launches post-Summit discussions
Publishing date: 16 March 2011
The Lithuanian OSCE Chairmanship on 15 March 2011 launched a series of discussions among the 56 participating States as a follow-up to the 2010 OSCE Astana Summit...
OSCE committed to conflict resolution efforts through the Geneva Discussions, assisting with democratic reforms, says OSCE Chairperson on visit to Georgia
Publishing date: 15 March 2011
TBILISI, 15 March 2011- The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis, emphasized the OSCE's commitment to achieving progress on security and stability issues through the Geneva Discussions and addressing urgent humanitarian concerns for the benefit of affected communities while in Tbilisi today...
OSCE Chairperson, in Azerbaijan, calls for strengthening ceasefire regime and confidence-building measures, offers support for reforms
Publishing date: 14 March 2011
BAKU, 14 March 2011- The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis, in Baku today, emphasized the importance of Azerbaijan in securing regional stability, and urged the authorities to work towards progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process and implement OSCE commitments to further democratic reforms, including promoting pluralism...