Minister for European Affairs Dick Roche attends OSCE meeting, Kazakhstan

The Minister for European Affairs, Mr. Dick Roche TD attended the OSCE Informal Ministerial in Almaty, Kazakhstan from 16-17 July.   Kazakhstan is the first Central Asian state to chair the OSCE.

The Informal was held to further OSCE dialogue on the future of European security, known as the “Corfu Process”, and to explore modalities and objectives for an OSCE Summit which the Kazakh Chairmanship proposes to organise for later in the year in Astana.  A Summit has not taken place since 1999 in Istanbul.

As the opening speaker at the conference which is attended by fifty-six participating States including all the members of the EU, the US, Canada and Russia, Minister Roche commended the progress achieved to date on the Corfu Process and said that Ireland looks forward to proceeding with this dialogue on a structured and practical basis. 

Supporting the proposal for a Summit, the Minister said that the focus must be on relevant deliverables and he expressed strong support for the four priorities highlighted by the EU:

1.      Strengthening of OSCE capabilities in all three dimensions to promote early warning, conflict prevention and resolution, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation;

2.      Strengthening implementation of OSCE norms, principles and commitments, with a particular focus on the human dimension with an emphasis on human rights and fundamental freedoms;

3.      Strengthening the arms control network, including confidence and security building measures, and

4.      Increased attention to transnational threats.

Minister Roche emphasised Ireland’s strong commitment to implementation of the Human Dimension work of the OSCE (human rights and fundamental freedoms) which will be a priority for Ireland’s OSCE Chairmanship in 2012.