OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO THE CIO

UNCLAS STATE 003936

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM RS GG OSCE
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO THE CIO


1. Post is authorized to present the following statement at
the Permanent Council in Vienna on January 15.

Begin text:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
We are honored to welcome Foreign Minister Bakoyannis to the
Permanent Council as the Chairman in Office for 2009. The
United States supports the objectives that you have set out
here today. We can assure you that the United States will
stand with you in your efforts to strengthen the OSCE,
including by providing the OSCE with a legal personality.

As the OSCE begins the year 2009, we face a number of
fundamental challenges to the OSCE's core mandate. But there
are also some genuine opportunities.

Strengthening the protection and promotion of human rights,
fundamental democratic freedoms and democratic governance,
including free and fair elections, are key OSCE objectives
and of enduring interest to the US government. These core
human dimension commitments are increasingly coming under
fire in several participating States. The OSCE is the only
institution with the track record, common commitments and
collaborative capacity to further these issues effectively
throughout the region. The United States believes it is
indispensable that the OSCE maintain its focus on promoting
fulfillment of these core human rights commitments, which
include, but are not limited to, the rights of Roma
individuals and gender equality.

OSCE also has a vital role to play in highlighting and
helping to resolve Europe,s outstanding protracted
conflicts. We welcome your already active and creative
efforts to find a workable solution for the preservation of
the OSCE Mission to Georgia, which can play a critical role
in monitoring the military situation in the conflict regions,
investigating human rights violations, responding to
humanitarian concerns, and providing rehabilitation
assistance. We hope the Mission can be preserved and that
its mandate can be expanded to cover all territories covered
by the August 12 ceasefire agreement brokered by French
President Sarkozy. We also welcome your commitment to find
peaceful, long-term solutions to the Transnistria and
Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts.

Clearly, as these and other examples demonstrate, European
security can and should be improved. In our view, existing
institutions provide the right framework for doing so, and
the OSCE is the right forum to discuss how best to move
forward. The OSCE is ideally suited to this task, given its
comprehensive approach to European security which
incorporates economic, human, and political-military aspects.
But we should limit ourselves to discussion for the time
being. There needs to be a truly compelling rationale before
for an OSCE summit or other high-level meeting. Before we
start down such an important path, we should have a good idea
of where it can lead and good reasons for going there.

The commitments of the OSCE, developed over decades since
Helsinki in 1975, are instrumental to our work. Our priority
should remain fulfillment of those commitments, including CFE
Treaty obligations, respect for the human rights and
fundamental freedoms of all persons, and a commitment to work
together to resolve disputes peacefully. These should remain
the fundamental basis for any next steps.

We wish you and your mission here the best of luck. Please
be assured of the full support of the United States as you
move forward.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
RICE