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New OSCE Chairman outlines priorities for rest of year

10 April 2008 13:18 (UTC +04:00)

"We must seriously look for solutions to the so-called frozen conflicts. My aim is to re-energize efforts towards peaceful settlement of these conflicts", said the Chairman-in-Office.
"I sincerely hope that the efforts of the Finnish Chairmanship are met with constructive engagement by all parties. I continue to support the existing negotiation mechanisms, including the OSCE Minsk Group and its Co-Chairs."
The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is working to find a solution for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, are France, Russia and the United States.
Stubb, who was appointed as Foreign Minister of Finland on 4 April, also expressed concern over recent incidents in Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia and appealed to all parties to refrain from violence.
The Chairman emphasized the work of the OSCE in Kosovo, and the value of its continued involvement there. He also highlighted the Organization’s initiatives in Central Asia, and the OSCE’s decision to enhance its engagement with Afghanistan.
On the fight against trafficking in human beings, Minister Stubb said the OSCE must look for ways to improve prevention measures and assist victims.
The Chairman-in-Office announced that a Finnish Chairmanship proposal made at the start of the year to bring together Spain, which held the Chairmanship last year, and future Chairmanship countries Greece (2009), Kazakhstan (2010) and Lithuania (2011) this year in a "quintet" format would move forward with an informal meeting in Helsinki on 1 to 2 June.