OSCE Magazine previews Madrid meeting and incoming Finnish Chairmanship; spotlights Mediterranean Partners
VIENNA, 27 November 2007 - Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos of Spain and his counterpart, Ilkka Kanerva of Finland, take centre stage in the latest OSCE Magazine, now online and in print ahead of the Organization's annual Ministerial Council meeting in Madrid and Spain's scheduled handover of the Chairmanship to Finland.
"The year 2007 has put the OSCE to the test," Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut says in an introductory message. "Solid political guidance is now required on a wide range of crucial tasks and concerns - whether it's consolidating long-term stability in Kosovo, building confidence in the politico-military sphere, or strengthening the security and management of Central Asia's borders with Afghanistan."
Outgoing Chairman-in-Office Moratinos writes about the challenges of steering a "delicate political instrument with a unique character and historical evolution". The OSCE's "to-do" list is not shrinking, and is, in fact, growing as new challenges emerge, he says.
In an interview, Finnish Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva, the incoming Chairman-in Office, says that although Finland is proud of the role that Helsinki played in the birth of the OSCE, the challenges are different today.
"I would like to see our Chairmanship as an honest effort to listen to all - but then to use the possibilities of the OSCE to the fullest extent and not get bogged down in the face of difficulties," he says.
The Magazine takes a close look at the Organization's Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation - Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia - as they prepare to gather for their annual seminar on 18 and 19 December, to be held in Israel for the first time.
Also featured are the first six Junior Professional Officers who took part in a new OSCE initiative to draw qualified young people from diverse backgrounds closer to the Organization's work. Representing Albania, Azerbaijan, Greece, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Portugal, they share the highlights of their experience working with the largest regional security organization in the world.
Published in English and Russian, with online editions in French and Spanish, the OSCE Magazine can be accessed at OSCE Magazine December 2007
Readers can subscribe to the hard copy version directly online or by e-mail, addressed to osce-magazine-at@osce.org