OSCE PA Annual Session: Open Lesson to Entire Lithuania on International Policy
The end of June will see the start of an extraordinary event in Vilnius – the Annual Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA). For the first time in Lithuania’s history our country will host such a large number of representatives from foreign parliaments. Currently there are 434 participants from 50 countries who have expressed their wish to participate in the work of the Assembly (OSCE PA has 56 participating states). Lithuania will be represented by three parliamentarians: Ms Vilija Aleknaitė-Abramikienė (Head of Delegation), Mr Egidijus Klumbys, and Mr Laimontas Dinius. The most numerous delegations of up to twenty MPs are to come from the USA, UK, France, and Russia. “The fact that this particularly politically important Annual Session takes place in Vilnius of all places is undoubtedly a sign of global response to the Lithuanian Millennium. Moreover, the event also provides us with an excellent opportunity to put Lithuania on the map and raise global awareness of the country and its capacities”, says Ms Aleknaitė-Abramikienė, Head of the Seimas Delegation to the OSCE PA. The theme of the annual event is OSCE: Addressing New Security Challenges.
Ms Aleknaitė-Abramikienė is persuaded that the Session will be marked by heated debates and painful search for compromises, “There are still many unresolved issues and frozen conflicts at hand that are making a serious impact on the areas of global security and cooperation. The situation in Georgia and the unwillingness of Russia to withdraw its troops both from the regions it has unilaterally acknowledged as independent and from Georgia proper is a case in point. Needless to say, this will be the subject of heated debate. We are aware of the tensions in other regions as well, including Moldova. I am looking forward to what the parliamentarians will have to say on the subject”.
As an organiser of the event, Lithuania will strive to make its own interests heard. The Resolution on Energy Security elaborated by our delegation has already won wide-ranging support and is on the Session agenda. It has been supported by 30 MPs who are members of the OSCE PA.
Ms Aleknaitė-Abramikienė proposed a draft Resolution on the Evaluation of the Ribbentrop - Molotov Pact. It proposes to continue research into the legacy of the totalitarian regimes and raise public awareness, support public organisations in their studies, and disseminate information on the offences committed by the regimes. The proposal also expresses concern over the glorification of the regimes and the spread of extremist movements. The third General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Issues will cover the violations of the rights of the child during the Session. This is a relevant subject for Lithuania, and the Head of the Seimas Delegation is looking forward to an active participation of Mr Dinius, Member of the Seimas Delegation, in addressing the issues.
Studies demonstrate that the OSCE is doing a lot in comparison to the amount of money it receives. Yet Ms Aleknaitė-Abramikienė claims that the global political community is no longer satisfied with the effectiveness of the organisation. “OSCE objectives include conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and post-conflict reconstruction. Georgia is a sufficient example where we see that we are doing a poor job. Even though Russia is a member of the OSCE, it refrains from allowing the OSCE observers in. This is a huge problem, therefore, the issue of increasing the work efficiency of the OSCE is on the agenda.” In addition, Ms Aleknaitė-Abramikienė emphasises the role of the OSCE in Lithuania’s history, “When we needed the occupational army removed from the territory of Lithuania, the OSCE adopted a number of resolutions in its sessions, calling for the troops to withdraw. We will never forget that the OSCE is the organisation that made a direct contribution to the consolidation of our independence and the implementation of our goals. Therefore, when we see similar aspirations and problems in other states we feel that the organisation is no longer as effective as it used to be. We perceive this as one of the key subjects for discussion.”
PROGRAMME
Live webcast of all the plenary and committee meetings will be available on a dedicated webpage www.lrs.lt/esbo in 4 languages: the floor language, English, Russian, and Lithuanian.
The Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will start on 29 June and adjourn on 3 July 2009.
