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Mr. Secretary General, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut,
Director Vilpišauskas, - thank you for organizing this conference -
Excellences,
Distinguished Panelists,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very pleased to see so many of you here at this “OSCE Talks Seminar.” 

This is the second of the series. It is a new initiative by the OSCE, which brings leading experts, students, journalists and others together to explore current issues.  We trust you will learn and benefit from the Talks. 

We also want to hear your ideas.  We are open to the views of experts, bright students, NGOs and the public.  That is part of the transparency the OSCE promotes in open public discourse.

The Lithuanian Chairmanship has almost reached the famous “One Hundred Days” milestone.  In the course of this time I have travelled to New York, Washington, Moscow, Brussels and many other cities to discuss and begin implementing our program for 2011. 

I have visited some of the most complicated regions where protracted conflicts have stubbornly defied resolution, Moldova and the South Caucuses.   In addition, I traveled to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to meet government leaders, NGO’s, minority representatives and media representatives among others.

My Vice Minister and Secretary General De Brichambaut have been to Albania to work with our EU and US partners to calm the political situation there.

In my travels throughout the OSCE region I have participated in some 120 official meetings and diplomatic discussions, and of course have been to Vienna to present the Chair’s views to the Permanent Council.

In these three months, and throughout my travels, one salient point has been clear at every stop:

Euro-Atlantic Security and Eurasian Security must be viewed as indivisible and include all three Dimensions of society.  

This reality has evolved steadily over the years since the adoption of the Helsinki Final Act.  But for years – let us be honest -- there has been an underlying sense that the OSCE area is divided between “East of Vienna” and “West of Vienna.”

Since the Astana Summit in December 2010 at the latest, however, we have committed ourselves to establishing a single security community, across the entire Eurasian and Euro-Atlantic space, indivisible, interlinked, through all Dimensions of the OSCE -- Security, Economic and Environment and in the Human Dimension.

In the OSCE, security is bound up in our respect for the dignity of each individual, and the acceptance of differences in our diverse and rich cultures.

Our communities are safest when human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law are upheld. When those rights and freedoms are violated, we are at risk.

During  my visit to Kyrgystan and Osh Province, where hundreds of lives were lost last year, it was evident that the respect for the rights of ethnic communities is necessary for the security, not  only of the people directly concerned, but for the society at large, as well as the state.  And in the case of the tragedy in Osh Province this affected  neighboring Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan as well. 

The role of the OSCE in these circumstances is to restore trust between communities and ensure that stability and the respect for rights is restored and preserved.  We, as the Chairmanship, is acting to promote the Community Security Initiative (CSI) as a practical process to begin rebuilding confidence  between the communities.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Another guarantee for our security is found in the freedom to express ourselves,  not just in words, but in actions. In this regard we must always try to preserve and improve  our individual electoral processes.  We must guarantee free assembly, and equal and free access to the media.

I am concerned with current tendencies in Moscow and Baku.   We must ensure the freedom to speak out without fear of injury, imprisonment or even death.  These are guarantees which must be preserved and improved throughout our OSCE area, with no regard to East or West. 

Some of the greatest threats to us as individuals as well as collectively are trans‐national in nature.  These include terrorism  and international criminal activities including the trafficking of people, weapons, and drugs.

Looking ahead, I will be travelling in May to Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Tjajikistan. There I will promote greater coordination, communication and cooperation in the region to establish more effective border management to combat the threats coming out of Afghanistan. 

The Lithuanian Chairmanship has chosen to begin the post –Astana process of building this inclusive security community by addressing several specific challenges identified at Astana.  These include, among others: 

• protracted conflicts over borders and territory;
• transnational threats -- where cooperation and openness among participating States is essential if we are to find solutions;
• energy security,-- which, given the recent catastrophe in Japan, includes  nuclear security;
• cyber-security, where the issues overarch borders, where balance must be obtained between freedom of access to information and responsibility in its use;
• human rights security – personal, media, institutional, civil society.

By the 6th and 7th of December I look to participating States to reach firm conclusions in all of these areas at the Vilnius Ministerial.

Much of the work the Chairmanship has focused on during  its first 100 days has involved these very things.

Immediately the situation in Belarus comes to mind. 

As time passes I see Belarus tending to go more and more into self isolation.  This affects not just the leadership, but also the people  As a neighbor watching this, it hurts.  We ask again and again that Belarus reconsider.  It refuses.  It is regrettable that the authorities there continue to refuse the presence of the OSCE in Minsk.  But as Chairman I will continue to support efforts to protect human rights in Belarus. I will  encourage the work of NGO‘s inside and outside the country, and ensure, though the use of ODIHR observers, that trials are properly monitored. 

As Chair I have devoted a great deal of time and energy on the protracted conflicts in  Moldova, Nagorno-Karambakh and in the South Caucuses. 

This is a long and complex process.    With the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group we need to focus on concrete confidence building steps, such as the removal of snipers from along the contct line in Nogorno Karabakh .  It requires overcoming years of negative historical experience and suspicions.  It is normal to encounter resistance to change, particularly when it threatens the status quo power structures.  When you are in the middle of the process it seems to be going nowhere.

We know from experience, however, that to build our common security community, it is necessary to develop practical processes and apply concrete measures. 

It is encouraging when working on disputes like the prolongued conflicts, which seem to defy solution, to recall some of the OSCE success stories -   Croatia and Serbia come immediately to mind. Two countries, two ethnic groups, only recently at war, now progressing side by side toward stable societies based on democratic  rule of law structures and principles.

We also need to remind ourselves of the  significant  progress made throughout the OSCE participating States  on issues such as media  freedom, gender equality, NGO development, cooperation on improved border management, fighting international crime, and many other so called „soft security issues.“

There are times, and events, however, which catch us up short, and remind us that we do not have limitless time to deal with problems.  They remind us of the need to take more decisive action.  Events in North Africa, Middle East and Japan are such a case.

As an experienced partner OSCE has an obligation to offer advice and to share our best practices as they are appropriate.

Coordinated efforts under the UN umbrella, which I discussed with UN Secretary General Ban Ky Moon, is the most effective approach to coordinating assistance.  The OSCE has a role to play.

In ten days I and a representative from ODIHR will travel to Tunis to explore ways the OSCE can support our partner. 

The OSCE can offer practical experience in institution building and managing electoral processes in a society in transition.

The natural catastrophe in Japan also reminds us of the continual need for our participating States to share best practices on crisis management and to work to apply the highest standards for nuclear safety throughout the OSCE region.  

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The building our common security community is a task which will go well beyond this Chairmanship.  Out task is to establish a solid foundation.  We are building on the commitments reconfirmed at Astana.  I expect to document concrete achievements at the Vilnius Ministerial in December.  We look to see the work we have begun to be continued and developed further by succeeding Chairmanships.