Minister Thors to open the OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum in Prague
Press release 165/2008
16 May, 2008
Minister of Migration and European Affairs Astrid Thors will open the OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum in Prague on Monday, 19 May. The theme of the Forum is “Maritime and inland waterways co-operation in the OSCE area: Increasing security and protecting the environment” .
Transport via waterways is one field of priority in the programme of the Finnish Chairmanship of the OSCE. The volume of transports on seas and inland waterways in the OSCE area is rising constantly, which calls for increased attention to security and environmental considerations and for development of cooperation between States. Special issues pertaining to landlocked countries will also be discussed in Prague.
In addition to Minister Thors, the participants will include: Tomáš Pojar, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic; Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, Secretary General of the OSCE; Marek Belka, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); Karla Peijs, European Co-ordinator for inland waterways; and Cheick Sidi Diarra, UN Under-Secretary General.
The 56 OSCE Participating States, the Asian and Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation, international organizations, as well as representatives of civil society, business and scientific communities have been invited to the Forum.
The OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum is an annual event. The first, preparatory part of the forum was held in Vienna on 28–29 January; the event in Prague is the main event and bring this year’s forum to a close.
Andrey Shapran of Russia, the winner of the “Waterways of Life” photo contest, will be awarded his prize at the forum. As the winner, he will receive a Nokia multimedia computer.
Additional information : Desk Officer Ritva Hautanen, Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force, mobile tel. +358 40 746 2971, and Head of the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force Aleksi Härkönen, mobile tel. +358 400 330 406