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| 15:55:54 | 29-04-2005 | Official |

OSCE RELEASES ANNUAL REPORT ON 2004 ACTIVITIES

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the world’s
largest regional security arrangement, released its Annual Report 2004
today.

The 150-page publication details the activities of the Organization and its
co-operation with other international organizations.

“The year 2004 was a challenging one for the Organization,” OSCE Secretary
General Jan Kubis writes in his foreword. “It began with the repeat
presidential election in Georgia and ended with the re-run of the second
round of the Ukrainian presidential election. Both events were observed by
the OSCE, demonstrating again the Organization’s importance as an election
monitoring instrument.”

However, the Secretary General, whose second three-year term ends in June,
added that the year also raised some fundamental questions concerning the
future of the Organization, and brought to light differences of opinion
among participating States on some key issues. “The OSCE is at a turning
point,” he added.