EAPC-OSCE meeting participants emphasized importance of upcoming OSCE top-level summit in Kazakhstan
This initiative of Kazakh President can significantly help establish common security space and give impetus for the development of cooperation within the OSCE which is important for all Eurasian states. Regarding this issue in the head-quarters of the NATO in Brussels a meeting of the ambassadors of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) member states was held with the OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut taking part in it. They discussed the issues regarding current relations between the OSCE and the NATO and the results of the OSCE meeting in Almaty.
The OSCE Secretary General expressed satisfaction with the decision on holding the OSCE summit in Kazakhstan this year and characterized it "as one of the major results of the Organization's long-term work". He informed about current activities of the Organization emphasizing the effectiveness of Kazakhstan's presidency in the OSCE in development of all the prior directions of the OSCE.
M. Brichambaut emphasized the importance of cooperation between the OSCE and EAPC taking into account common goals set for the Organizations and called for continuing the dialogue and clearly separating the functions of the Organizations. In particular Mr. Brichambaut noted that it would be highly relevant to solve the Afghan, Balkans and others of the kind problems together.
In turn Kazakhstan as the presiding country submitted a report on the results of the OSCE Foreign Ministers Summit in Almaty. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Belgium and Luxembourg, Head of the Missions to the European Union and the NATO Yerik Utembayev drew the participants attention to the consensus reached in Almaty concerning Kazakhstan's idea to convene the OSCE top-level summit. Besides, he noted that the last Summit was held in Istanbul 11years ago.
'The main topic of the Summit will be the establishment of a single and indivisible security space in Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian communities', Y. Utembayev said.
The EAPC Ambassadors were informed of the results of the negotiations on the most acute problems within the OSCE including the situation in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan and issues on strengthening arms control, development of mechanisms and institutions on conflicts prevention, crisis control and others. Regarding these issues the importance of the cooperation between the OSCE and the EU, the OSCE and the NATO was emphasized.
Y. Utembayev also informed about the decision of the OSCE to send a police advisory group to Kyrgyzstan called to strengthen the stability in the country.
The EAPC Ambassadors made short speeches commenting on Kazakhstan's presidency in the OSCE for the past period.
The representatives of Spain, Switzerland, Austria and several other states fully supported the initiatives of Kazakhstan in the OSCE and noted successful presidency.
Thus the Permanent Representative of Austria to the NATO thanked Kazakhstan for dynamic evolution and development of 'the process of Corfu' pointing out the vital role of the OSCE in Kosovo and called the rest to support the Summit in Astana.
The Ukrainian Ambassador said the upcoming Summit would lay the foundation for resolving a wide range of issues within the OSCE. Besides, the Ukrainian Ambassador said that Ukraine intended to be the OSCE presiding country in 2013.
Ambassadors of Serbia and Albania emphasized the importance of involving the OSCE in the western Balkans and in the works of the International Court of Justice. They also wished Kazakhstan the best of luck in the presidency in the OSCE and in realization of the goals of the Organization.
Swiss Permanent Representative noted the importance of inclusion 'the process of Corfu' into the list of prior topics of the upcoming Summit. He also touched upon the issues on the rights of national minorities, crisis space and pointed put great potential for development of cooperation between the OSCE and the EAPC.
In whole the results of the meeting demonstrated the support of allies of the Alliance and its main partners to Kazakhstan's presidency in the OSCE. The activity of Kazakhstan was highly appraised within the OSCE and within the cooperation of the states of the EAPC.
It should be noted that the dialogue platform 'OSCE-NATO' gradually transfers into active dialogue form. Special attention is paid to the situation in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan and 'the process of Corfu' as the element consolidating strategic unity.
Adoption of a new NATO Strategic Concept was noted that includes restructuring of its activities emphasizing the aim of the Alliance to involve many members in wide range system cooperation. Besides, special attention was given to the protracted conflicts in Southern Caucasus, in Transnistria and the Balkans.
Deputy NATO Secretary General C. Bisonero noted the unity of the two organizations and the issues of the agenda the NATO and the OSCE would have to solve.
In this view the meeting participants suggested holding a session of the EAPC in NATO in October-November, 2010 with the participation of the OSCE leadership to discuss the agenda of the OSCE top-level summit.