OVERCOMING THE CURRENT CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE IS CRUCIAL TO TACKLING NEW THREATS TO SECURITY, OSCE CHAIRPERSON TELLS U.S. HELSINKI COMMISSION

Trend News Agency
02.02.2010 22:56

Overcoming the current crisis of confidence is crucial to tackling new
threats to security, OSCE Chairperson tells U.S. Helsinki Commission

It is crucial to overcome the current crisis of confidence between
states to tackle new challenges and threats to security, the OSCE
Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakhstan’s Secretary of State and Foreign
Minister, Kanat Saudabayev, said today to the U.S. Helsinki Commission,
OSCE press service reported.

"We remember well and we value the fact that the Helsinki Commission
was among the first in the US to support our candidacy [to chair the
OSCE] and I trust that we share an interest in further strengthening
our common Organization in the name of security and co-operation from
Vancouver to Vladivostok," the Chairperson-in-Office said.

The Helsinki Commission – formally known as the Commission on Security
and Co-operation in Europe – is an independent U.S. government body
responsible for monitoring and encouraging compliance with the Helsinki
Final Act and other OSCE commitments.

"We understand that to a large extent the implementation of our
priorities will depend on our ability to overcome the crisis of
confidence that stems from the remaining Cold War dividing lines
and principles," Saudabayev said, mentioning the current work done
within the framework of the "Corfu process", a renewed dialogue on
security which aims to reconfirm the common achievements of the OSCE
community and to renovate the mechanisms to deal with traditional
and new challenges.

Minister Saudabayev outlined the Kazakh Chairmanship’s priorities of
combating intolerance and trafficking in human beings, notably in
children; promoting adequate management at border checkpoints and
developing safe and efficient ground transportation; as well as of
tackling the problem of the Aral Sea, a Central Asian environmental
catastrophe which has had a proven negative impact on European states.

"Given that intolerance remains a problem in the OSCE area, we intend
to make the best use of the OSCE’s potential to foster dialogue among
religions, cultures, and civilizations, and to overcome religious
intolerance, racism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism. Having a very
positive experience in guaranteeing interethnic and inter-confessional
peace in our own country, we intend to make the issues of tolerance
and intercultural dialogue in the OSCE area a top priority of our
Chairmanship."

"As Chairmanship, Kazakhstan considers the human dimension of the
OSCE an indispensable and critical part of our work in 2010. A most
important event during our Chairmanship therefore will be the annual
human rights implementation meeting in Warsaw," the Minister said.

Kazakhstan intends to attribute special importance to fundamental
values, such as freedom of religion, freedom of the media, the rule
of law, and the strengthening of the independence of the judiciary,
he explained. "We will be advancing these processes, in the first place
in our own country, as building a democracy has been the conscientious
choice of our people."

Looking ahead, Minister Saudabayev informed the Commission on plans
for enhanced engagement with Afghanistan, an OSCE Asian Partner for
Co-operation. "Kazakhstan will continue the active work already done
by the OSCE to improve the management of the borders between Central
Asian countries and Afghanistan. Such an activity aims at fostering
the development of trans-border cooperation and strengthening the
potential of Afghanistan’s border and police forces," Saudabyaev said.

"Afghanistan occupies a special place in the program of our
Chairmanship. It is clear that the Afghan authorities should begin
solving the problems of their country on their own. However, they
also need the strong support of the world community," Saudabayev added.

"The time has come for a major expansion of the human dimension of
our common efforts in Afghanistan."

Minister Saudabayev emphasized the importance for the OSCE of
organizing a Summit this year, which would be the first since 1999,
when OSCE heads of state and government gathered in Istanbul.

Saudabayev emphasized that an OSCE Summit could reconfirm the
validity of the Helsinki Founding Act, the Paris Charter and other key
pillars of the OSCE acquis, in connection with a set of forthcoming
anniversaries: 35th of Helsinki Final Act, 20th of the Copenhagen
Document, and 20th of the Paris Charter.

Minister Saudabayev emphasized that the Chairmanship has put the
Organization’s efforts to resolve protracted conflicts in Moldova,
Georgia and Nagorno-Karabakh at the top of its agenda for 2010. The
Chairperson-in-Office will be visiting Azerbaijan, Armenia, and
Georgia in mid-February.

While in Washington, DC, Saudabayev is scheduled to meet Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, National
Security Advisor General James Jones, and the US Special Representative
for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke.

The Chairperson-in-Office will address the UN Security Council in
New York on 5 February.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress