Baltic Sea issues on the agenda of the OSCE Conference in Helsinki

Press release 168/2007
6 September, 2007

The Preparatory Conference to the OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum "Maritime and inland waterways cooperation in the OSCE area: Increasing security and protecting the environment" will be held in Helsinki on 10-11 September. The expert-level conference is the first event organised within the framework of Finland's 2008 Chairmanship of the OSCE. The conference will also be attended by OSCE Secretary-General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut.

In the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, Finland wants to bring up the situation of the Baltic Sea and the regional cooperation practiced in Northern Europe. Similar issues arise also in other maritime areas, such as the Black Sea region. The conference will contemplate the safety of increasing transportation on the sea and inland waterways in the whole OSCE area, including the environmental viewpoints. The intention is also to encourage cooperation between organisations and regional arrangements.

The Helsinki conference makes preparations for the next year's OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum, with other meetings to be held in Vienna, Austria, in Ashgabad, Turkmenistan and in Prague, Czech Republic.

In accordance with the OSCE's comprehensive security concept, economic and environmental dimension has been part of the operations of the OSCE from the very beginning. The OSCE has a total of 56 participating states: all European countries, the countries of Southern Caucasia and Central Asia, and the United States and Canada.

Additional information:
Desk Officer Ritva Hautanen, Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force,
tel. +358 40 746 2971 and
Head of the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force Aleksi Härkönen,
tel. +358 400 330 406,
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