News

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) should play a more active role in the fight against trafficking in drugs and other transnational threats, contributing to the enhancement of border management in Afghanistan and Central Asian countries.Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis said this at a meeting with Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi on 2 December in Astana.

According to Minister A.Ažubalis, the promotion of border management and cooperation in this area will be one of the most important issues of Lithuania’s OSCE chairmanship in 2011.

“Ensuring better border control, in the first place, would help in the fight against trafficking in drugs. During the meetings with foreign ministers of Central Asian countries, I have heard about their interest in working with the OSCE in this field. We can expect support also from other OSCE countries,” the Minister said after the meeting.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania with the delegation led by the President of Lithuania is taking part in the ongoing OSCE Summit of Heads of State or Government in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on 1-2 December.

Next year, Minister A.Ažubalis intends to visit Central Asian countries as the OSCE Chairman-in-Office.

During the meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Kostyantyn Gryshchenko, Foreign Minister of Lithuania presented the key issues of Lithuania’s upcoming chairmanship of the OSCE. Minister A.Ažubalis invited K.Gryshchenko to the OSCE conference on the safety of journalists that is scheduled for the next year in Vilnius.

Minister A.Ažubalis congratulated Ukraine on its forthcoming chairmanship of the OSCE in 2013 and said that he believed that the countries would successfully cooperate within the OSCE Troika in 2012.

The Troika consists of the OSCE’s current Chairperson-in-Office, the past and the future chairmanships of this organization.

At the same time, the Lithuanian Foreign Minister offered assistance of Lithuanian experts to Ukraine in implementing the action plan concerning the visa-free regime with the EU.

Minister A.Ažubalis received thanks for the EU’s decision to lift the visa regime for Albania from Albanian Foreign Minister Edmond Haxhinasto.

The conversation of the Foreign Ministers focused on the strengthening of bilateral political and economic relations. Possibilities of holding regular political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of promoting cooperation between enterprises and associated business structures were discussed.

On 1 December, Minister A.Ažubalis held meetings with foreign ministers of Georgia, Canada and Uzbekistan.