News

During the 16th Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on 4-5 December in Helsinki, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Petras Vaitiekūnas indicated that there was a need to renew ‘the spirit of Helsinki’. Namely, there’s a need to reaffirm all OSCE principles and commitments of OSCE participating states and to implement decisions effectively.

P.Vaitiekūnas highlighted that one of the most important priorities of the OSCE activities was to solve security issues in Europe, paying particular attention to the resolution of frozen conflicts.

“The future of security in Europe depends on the preparedness of the countries to base their interrelations on common values and principles. An active role of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe during the conflict in Georgia once again proved the efficiency and significance of this organisation,” said P.Vaitiekūnas.

Speaking about conflict prevention, Minister emphasized the importance of the OSCE missions that monitor the situation and mediate for the conflicting parties.

The activities of this organisation, according to P.Vaitiekūnas, also are very important in guaranteeing human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the region. One of the objectives is to encourage countries in the region to cooperate with the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) closely in monitoring elections and in other areas.

P.Vaitiekūnas reiterated determination to guarantee fulfilment of undertaken obligations and the continuity of activities during the Lithuania’s OSCE chairmanship in 2011.

One of the main issues of the Council was the security situation in Europe. Participating states expressed their preparedness to discuss the topic of security strengthening in Europe, without creating new formats or structures and agreed that OSCE would be a perfect place for such discussions.

Minister P.Vaitiekūnas also participated in the meeting of future OSCE chairmen, the Nordic-Baltic and Central Asia ministerial meeting, welcomed new Adrian Charter members. P.Vaitiekūnas discussed important security issues with the OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, President of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Joao Soares and Director of OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Janez Lenarcic.

During the Ministerial Council, an announcement was affirmed regarding the progress that was made solving the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. The declaration was also affirmed regarding the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as solutions regarding OSCE activities while implementing the Action plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti, on light weapons and ammunition, on the OSCE`s legal status, waterways co-operation in the OSCE area and other documents.

The Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe was established in Helsinki, 1975. After the Cold War, it was transformed into the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Officially the new name has come into use since 1 January 1995. Currently the OSCE joins together 56 participating states: European countries, the USA, Canada and countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs P.Vaitiekūnas is returning to Vilnius on 5 December.