Maritime and inland waterways cooperation to be discussed at an OSCE conference in Turkmenistan
Press release 74/2008
5 March, 2008
Maritime and inland waterways transports and the challenges facing landlocked countries will be discussed at the Second Preparatory Conference to the 16th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum in Ashgabad, Turkmenistan on 6–7 March. This is the first international event within the sphere of the OSCE to be held in Turkmenistan. Organisation of the conference is linked with the government’s policy of gradual opening.
Geographically, the OSCE conference focuses especially on issues concerning Central Asia, the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The topics of discussion include, among others, various threats to the environment and security, transit transport, river basin cooperation, and port and container security. The main emphasis is given to cooperation arrangements for finding sustainable solutions to problems. The Baltic Sea and the Black Sea were discussed at the previous segments of the forum, held in Helsinki and Vienna.
The aim of the conference in Ashgabad is also to present recommendations for future OSCE work in maritime and inland waterways cooperation, also covering the special situation of landlocked countries.
The expert-level conference takes places under the auspices of Finland’s Chairmanship of the OSCE. Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, Secretary General of the OSCE, and Pierre Morel, European Union Special Representative for Central Asia, will also take part in the conference. The opening address will be given by Aleksi Härkönen, Head of the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force. Experts from the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE and the Border Guard Headquarters, Finland will also deliver talks.
The Ashgabad conference was preceded by the First Preparatory Conference to the 16th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum held in Helsinki on 10–11 September 2007 and the OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum/Part I held in Vienna on 28–29 January 2008. After Ashgabad, the Economic and Environmental Forum will culminate in a forum to be held in Prague on 19–21 May.
Additional information: Desk Officer Ritva Hautanen, Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force, mobile tel. +358 40 746 2971, and Ambassador Aleksi Härkönen, Head of the OSCE Task Force, mobile tel. + 358 400 330 406, http://www.osce.org/item/29651.html