Next year Lithuania will alsume the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) - the largest regional security organization uniting 56 states. The origins of the Organization stems from a meeting of the leaders of 35 states from the then Soviet bloc, the free democratic Western world and non-aligned movement in Helsinki in 1975, when a whole Europe was deep in the freeze of the Cold War.
Right in Helsinki the talks have commenced about co-operation between the two groups, states with different ideological and economic systems. The participants of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) agreed not to limit negotiations merely to confidence-building measures in the military field, but to extend them, at the beginning at least through the limited exchange of experts, to ensuring human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as working together in economic, scientific, technological, environmental, cultural and humanitarian field. The declaration of these principles in the Helsinki Final Act at the time already made a fundamental impact. Regular dialogue among the states slowly removed self-isolation while positive obligations towards each other replaced daily confrontation.
Helsinki human rights defenders groups have had vast impact. The first group of human rights defenders was formed by academician A. Sakharov in Moscow in 1976. Similar groups sprang up in Lithuania and Ukraine in 1976, and later in Armenia. Human rights defenders have come under massive pressure of the repressive system. Understandably, in those days nobody could have thought of this neither as foundation for the end of the Cold War, nor springborad for other positive changes.
Why have we put forward our candidacy for the OSCE Chairmanship? Because of the fact that we are a democratic country, we share common values and realize that their promotion goes hand in hand with interests of Lithuania and OSCE participating states. We have gained necessary experience and contacts what will be essential for strengthening comprehensive security within OSCE area and search for resolution of protracted conflicts, and at the same time to face threats posed by terrorism and other new challenges.
Protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, activ civil society is and always will be significant to us. Lithuania together with other OSCE participating states will pay much attention to freedom of the media and protection of journalists. We will strengthen regional cooperation on economic and environmental issues, continue to work on developing a transport corridor that would bond together Baltic Sea, Black Sea and Central Asia regions.
The chairmanship of the OSCE will make Lithuania more visible and recognizable. In other words, Lithuania will play in the top league of world politics in 2011. The Chairmanship Task Force will be in touch with non-governmental organizations, civil society. I kindly invite all readers, our citizens, political parties, non-governmental organizations and academic institutions to actively support us and assist in fulfilling successfully multidimensional tasks. The Chairmanship of the OSCE is a great challenge for all of us.
