News

On 13-14 February in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Evaldas Ignatavičius is participating in the annual OSCE-Thailand Conference on Strengthening Security through Regional Co-operation: the OSCE Comprehensive Approach and Experiences of Asian Partners for Co-operation.

The annual conference discusses issues of cooperation between the OSCE and Asian Partners for Co-operation.

This year, Lithuania chairs the OSCE Contact Group with the Partners for Co-operation in Asia.  

At the opening session, Ignatavičius acquainted participants of the conference with the goals of Lithuania’s Chairmanship of this Group in 2012. The Vice-Minister stressed that this cooperation forum provided a unique opportunity for exchanging opinions on security issues in Europe, Asia and the Pacific region.

The Vice-Minister welcomed active participation of the Asian Partners for Co-operation in OSCE activities, such as organizing training on border security issues, courses for Afghan diplomats and border control officials.

Ignatavičius also drew attention to the achievements in the field of cooperation with the Partners for Co-operation in Asia that were reached during Lithuania’s Chairmanship of the OSCE. The Vice-Minister highlighted the decision taken during the session in Vilnius on enhancing cooperation with Afghanistan and Lithuania’s initiative to implement the new package of OSCE projects for Afghanistan in the near future.

Ignatavičius reminded participants about the proposals submitted by the OSCE Partners for Co-operation on expert assistance, also assistance in the field of elections.

The meeting of the Vice-Minister and Surin Pitsuwan, the Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), focused on the OSCE-ASEAN cooperation and security situation in the region.

The Vice-Minister is also to attend the opening of the OSCE Workshop on Promoting Security through a Comprehensive Approach to Development in Border Areas – a Capacity-Building Programme According to the Thai Experience.

The OSCE Asian Partners for Co-operation are: Afghanistan, Australia, Japan, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, and Thailand.