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On 30 November, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas in the 15th meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Council in Madrid encouraged all the OSCE countries to reinforce practical activities in promoting the basic values, norms and commitments of the organization within all the dimensions of the OSCE work and to be guided by the main objective of the organization to build an integral, free and peaceful Europe.

The Minister emphasized the significance of the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), first of all, its election observation missions. He confirmed Lithuania’s support for the activity of the Office and urged all the OSCE’s countries to maintain the independence of the ODIHR and create all the necessary conditions to permit this institution to monitor elections freely, as well as to restrain from throwing obstacles in the way of the observers of the elections.

The Minister also indicated that it was necessary to make every endeavour to regulate the frozen conflicts in Moldova and Southern Caucasus countries.

“Frozen conflicts make a negative impact on the security, stability and development of the countries. Therefore, their regulation shall remain a major target of the OSCE’s work,” claimed the Head of Lithuania’s diplomacy.

The Minister expressed his concern regarding the intention of Russia to suspend its participation in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE Treaty). He also took on trust that the States Parties of the CFE Treaty would be able to resolve outstanding disagreements and to implement fully all their obligations and commitments arising from the Treaty. The Minister indicated that the fulfilment of Russia’s commitments, undertaken in Istanbul, remained crucial in seeking to uphold the Treaty. He regretted that there was a continuing lack of progress on the withdrawal of Russian military forces and equipment from Moldova.

The Minister also welcomed the efforts of the OSCE in countering terrorism and stressed Lithuania’s contribution to this work. He assured that Lithuania was interested to contribute to the OSCE’s work in Afghanistan.

During the meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council, P.Vaitiekūnas met with the heads of the delegations of Spain, the USA, Kazakhstan and Portugal, and the OSCE’s Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut.

Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs initiated the meeting of the Heads of diplomacy of Nordic and Baltic countries (NB8) with Foreign Ministers of the Central Asian countries, in which bilateral relations of the countries, cooperation in international organisations and regional cooperation were discussed.

During the final session of the OSCE Ministerial Council, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs made a statement in the name of 26 NATO countries regarding the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. In this statement the countries encouraged Russia to restrain from the actions, which could make a negative impact on this Treaty and to fulfil the commitments that were undertaken by Russia in 1999, including those on Georgia and Moldova. The countries urged Russia to continue its dialogue with the members of the Alliance in order to preserve this Treaty, which is important for the security in Europe.

During the OSCE Ministerial Council, Lithuania joined Ukraine’s statement about the Hunger (Holodomor) of 1932-33 in this country. In this statement, the countries condemn this crime of the communist regime, due to which millions of people died.