News

On 27 April during the consultations of the delegations of the Lithuanian and Russian Foreign Ministries that were organized in Moscow, Lithuania’s preparation for the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 2011 and organization’s provisional agenda for the next year were discussed.

During the meeting, which was attended by Political Director of Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Eitvydas Bajarūnas and Vladimir Voronkov, the Director of the Department of Pan-European Co-Operation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, possible priorities of the OSCE activities in the areas of security, economy, environment protection, and human rights were discussed. The priority issue of Lithuania’s chairmanship - the issue of energy security – was presented, along with the issues of a possible transport initiative.

Russian representatives presented the OSCE priorities of their own country, among them - the initiative of the freedom of movement within the OSCE area.

Officials from the Lithuanian and Russian Foreign Ministries also discussed possibilities for regional and subregional cooperation within the OSCE, increasing the efficiency of the OSCE activities and resolving protracted conflicts. Officials exchanged opinions on the agenda of the OSCE Summit due in 2010 and steps to take the dialogue on European security forward.

The Lithuanian delegation also met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin.

Lithuania will chair the OSCE in 2011. Lithuania’s OSCE Chairmanship in 2011 will help to strengthen the country’s international and regional role, to prepare for the Presidency of the European Union in 2013 and for the possible membership in the UN Security Council in 2014-2015. During the Chairmanship, Lithuania intends to focus on comprehensive security dialogue in Europe (the so-called Corfu Process), on strengthening security within the OSCE area, human rights protection and press freedom.