LITHUANIA TAKES OVER OSCE CHAIRMANSHIP
On 1 January 2011 Lithuania took over the Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) from Kazakhstan which chaired the OSCE in 2010.
Lithuania will strongly focus on internal and external threats in the OSCE area (cyber-security, trafficking of people, drugs etc.), fostering democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, notably freedom of the media, promoting energy security in Europe and building upon synergies between regional organizations.
"We will work towards building a true security community, without dividing lines, where commitments are implemented, the use of force is unthinkable, and human rights and fundamental freedoms are fully respected," Mr. Audronius Ažubalis, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, and the new Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, said.
"Lithuania, as a part of the Baltic Sea region and a member of the European Union and NATO, believes that a network of regional and sub-regional organizations, complementing each other's activities and those of the OSCE, will be more than the sum of its parts. Synergies between such organizations are vital for building a stronger security community," Mr. Ažubalis said.
Mr. Ažubalis also mentioned the need to jointly develop common principles in the field of energy and said that the OSCE can promote dialogue and co-operation at the regional and cross-dimensional level in this sphere.
On 13 January in Vienna, Austria, the new Chairperson-in-Office will outline the Lithuanian Chairmanship's priorities to the Permanent Council, a key OSCE decision-making body.
