Foreign Minister Stubb: Work of the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship to continue
Press release 115 /2008
4 April, 2008
Alexander Stubb, 40, was today appointed as Foreign Minister of Finland. The new Minister, serving also as the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, pledged to push ahead with Finland’s Chairmanship priorities.
“The work of any Chairmanship is the product of a large team effort involving the OSCE Task Force and Vienna delegation, Special Representatives and the OSCE’s Vienna Secretariat as well as OSCE field operations and Institutions,” said Stubb.
“I warmly thank my predecessor Mr Ilkka Kanerva for a strong and active contribution. My team will continue his work. The Finnish Chairmanship will pursue the detailed schedule of work that builds on OSCE's strengths as a forum for dialogue and a platform for action across Europe,” the new Chairman-in-Office said.
Minister Stubb is scheduled to visit Vienna April 10th to brief the OSCE’s Permanent Council, a decision-making body chaired this year by Finland.
Priorities of the 2008 Finnish OSCE Chairmanship include progress towards resolving the region’s protracted conflicts, enhancing engagement with Afghanistan as well as co-operation on maritime and inland waterways, combating trafficking in human beings, promoting tolerance and non-discrimination and gender equality.
Additional information: Juha Kirstilä, Press Attaché to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5012, mobile tel. +358 40 552 8200, Ambassador Aleksi Härkönen, Head of the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force, tel. +358 9 160 55496, mobile tel. + 358 400 330 406