Swedish diplomat to head OSCE Office in Minsk

MINSK, 12 August 2005 - Åke Peterson, the former Swedish Ambassador to Ukraine, has been appointed Head of the OSCE Office in Minsk and is expected to take up his post on 29 August.

Ambassador Peterson's diplomatic experience includes missions to Russia and Eastern Europe, the United States, Africa and south-eastern Europe.

The Office in Minsk has a mandate to assist the Belarusian government in further promoting institution-building, consolidating the rule of law, developing relations with civil society, and assisting with economic and environmental activities, in accordance with OSCE principles and commitments.

The Office also performs a monitoring and reporting function to the Organization's Permanent Council and other OSCE Institutions.

Ambassador Peterson succeeds Ambassador Eberhard Heyken, who has headed the Office in Minsk since it was opened in January 2003.