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During the plenary session of the Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on 1 December in Athens, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas stressed the importance of the dialogue on European security for strengthening the mutual confidence of the participating States.

“The events in Georgia last year have underlined the fragility of the political will to uphold our OSCE principles, commitments and decisions. Continuing crisis of a major arms control Treaty is an additional source of tension and our concern,” Minister V.Ušackas said during the plenary session.

According to him, the OSCE should continue to be a pillar of civil society and to provide a unique platform for conflict resolution. “The organisation facilitates the resolution of protracted conflicts by continuing to implement confidence-building programmes,” the head of Lithuania’s diplomacy stressed.

He positively assessed the proposals to grant additional powers to the OSCE Chair-in-Office to send missions to potential conflict zones. It is also necessary to achieve a greater contribution of sub-regional organisations to the overall security in the OSCE area.

According to the Minister, the potential of the OSCE has not yet been utilized to the fullest in Central Asia, also in the cooperation with Afghanistan.

“We trust that Kazakhstan, as the next year’s OSCE Chair-in-Office, will open up new opportunities in the region. As an incoming OSCE Troika member, Lithuania is ready to work towards an effective OSCE with a balanced, comprehensive and cross-dimensional agenda,” Minister V.Ušackas said.

The 17th OSCE Ministerial Council focuses on the dialogue on the future of the European security, which the outgoing Greek Chairmanship of the OSCE launched during the first informal meeting of OSCE foreign ministers this year in June on the island of Corfu.

While commenting on the proposal of Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev regarding the draft treaty on European security, the Minister noted that the 21st century security challenges included not only the military security but also human rights, economic and energy security, and environmental challenges.

“The OSCE, as the all-embracing security organization with 56 participating States, provides an appropriate venue for these discussions,” said Minister V.Ušackas.

The protracted Transnistrian and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts, the human rights situation and the freedom of press in the OSCE area, the fight against terrorism, drug and human trafficking, the energy security dialogue and other issues were also discussed at the OSCE Ministerial Council.

Before the session of the Ministerial Council, Minister V.Ušackas held the meeting of foreign ministers of Benelux, Baltic States and Georgia. Bilateral meetings with the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, the incoming Chairman-in-Office in 2010, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities were also on the agenda of Minister V.Ušackas in Athens.

Minister V.Ušackas met also with the foreign ministers of Ireland, Albania, Moldova, Slovenia, Turkey, Macedonia and Cyprus, as well as with the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg. During the meetings, they discussed bilateral relations, regional cooperation and preparation for Lithuania’s Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2011.

The OSCE is comprised of 56 European, North American and Asian countries. Greece is chairing this organisation in 2009.  Lithuania, as the forthcoming Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2011, will become a member of the OSCE Troika already next year and will hold the Chairmanship of the OSCE Mediterranean Partners Group for Co-operation.

Speech of Minister Vygaudas Ušackas in the OSCE Ministerial Council in Athens

                                                                                            The ministers pose for a family photo at the 17th OSCE Ministerial Council in Athens, 1 December 2009. (OSCE/George Kontarinis)

Lithuania's Foreign Minister Vygaudas Usackas is greeted by Greek Prime Minister and OSCE Chairman-in-Office George Papandreou at the opening of the 17th OSCE Ministerial Council, Athens, 1 December 2009

Lithuania's Foreign Minister Vygaudas Usackas, in the margins of 17th OSCE Ministerial Council in Athens, met with Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev