Finnish Chairmanship discusses 2008 priorities with OSCE parliamentarians

VIENNA, 21 February 2008 - The OSCE remains a central security actor across the Transatlantic and Eurasian areas as the only venue where all security questions and major actors are bound together, Finnish Secretary of State Teija Tiilikainen said at the start of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's Winter Meeting in Vienna today.

"The OSCE is as necessary today as it has ever been. It remains a central security actor across the Transatlantic and Eurasian areas as the only venue where all security questions and major actors are bound together," she said.

Speaking on behalf of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva, Tiilikainen outlined the Finnish Chairmanship's priorities for the year, and addressed some of the challenges facing the Organization, including protracted conflicts in the OSCE area and election observation.

Tiilikainen expressed the Chairmanship's appreciation for the co-operation and support of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. She highlighted the important role the Parliamentary Assembly plays in the Organization's election-related work.

"The Finnish Chairmanship is convinced that continued dialogue on election-related issues among the participating States, with the involvement of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, is essential," she said. "In this respect, the Chairmanship plans to conduct a structured dialogue on election related issues, including the involvement of international organizations, parliamentary assemblies, and NGOs."

Tiilikainen also spoke on Kosovo, the CFE treaty, and co-operation between the OSCE troika and the future OSCE Chairmanships of Kazakhstan (2010) and Lithuania (2011) to enable more effective long-term planning.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, created by the CSCE Summit in Paris in 1990, is the parliamentary dimension of the OSCE. The primary task of the 320-member Assembly is to facilitate inter-parliamentary dialogue.