Long-standing engagement between OSCE and Mediterranean and the future of co-operation in focus of conference in Malta

VALLETTA, 10 November 2015 – The link between European and Mediterranean security has become increasingly evident and there is a need to reaffirm the strategic value of the OSCE’s co-operation with its Mediterranean Partners, said the Organization’s Secretary General Lamberto Zannier today as he opened an international conference on “Helsinki + 40: The Mediterranean Chapter and the Future of Mediterranean”  in Valetta.
 
The event, which commemorates the signing of the Helsinki Final Act forty years ago, brings together high-level governmental representatives as well as prominent speakers from academia and civil society to review the achievements of the OSCE-Mediterranean Partnership and discuss priorities and approaches for the future.
 
“I cannot think of a more suitable place than Malta to hold a discussion about the long-standing engagement between the OSCE and the Mediterranean,” said Zannier. “Malta played a crucial role in ensuring the inclusion of a dedicated ‘Mediterranean Chapter’ in the text of the Helsinki Final Act.”
 
“The OSCE’s co-operative approach and its comprehensive definition of security make it as relevant as ever in addressing the challenges faced by our participating States and Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation. We know that our model is not perfect and cannot simply be transferred to other regions of the world. But in our relations with our Mediterranean Partners, we will continue to offer a platform for dialogue on common priorities and shared concerns that take inspiration from the OSCE experience in Europe.”
 
Zannier said that Mediterranean issues are not only regional issues, but are part and parcel of both the OSCE agenda and the global agenda. “From deploying counter-radicalization strategies to addressing the refugee crisis, Mediterranean-based issues cannot be relegated to a separate chapter of our work. Nor can any of these challenges be effectively tackled by a single country or even by a single region alone,” said Zannier. “The OSCE Partnership with the Mediterranean countries is not only rooted in history, but it is also critical to successfully addressing the most urgent challenges of our time.”
 
Zannier noted that the OSCE-linked New-Med Network, which co-organized the conference together with the Diplomatic Academy of Malta, is creating positive new connections and synergies between governmental entities and civil society across the Euro-Mediterranean region. Zannier’s full speech at the conference can be found here.

The conference was supported by the OSCE, the Foreign Office of Germany, the Government of Switzerland, Italy’s Institute of International Affairs (IAI - Istituto Affari Internazionali) and the Compagnia di San Paolo International Affairs Program.

During his visit to Malta, Zannier also met Foreign Minister George Vella, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Anglu Farrugia and interim Executive Director of the European Asylum Support Office Jose Carreira. He also held a discussion with students and young diplomats at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta, hosted by Professor Monika Wohlfeld.