Foreign Minister Tuomioja to OSCE ministerial meeting in Brussels

Press release 503/2006
1 December, 2006

Foreign ministers of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe will convene in Brussels, Belgium, on 4-5 December. The Finnish delegation of the EU Presidency will be chaired by Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. The ministers are expected to address issues related to the streamlining of the OSCE activities and topical regional questions, such as situations in Georgia, Moldova and Nagorno-Karabah.

The ministerial meeting is excpected to adopt several decisions on developing OSCE activities in the fields of human dimension, arms control, and economy and the environment. The decisions will address issues such as intensifying action against human trafficking, combatting intolerance and discrimination, promoting mutual respect and understanding, preventing small arms trade, and transport questions.

Finland will chair the OSCE in 2008 and will join the troika in January 2007 with Spain chairing the organisation.

Further information: Director Anu Laamanen, Unit for Civilian Crisis Management, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 40 768 0311; Ambassador Aleksi Härkönen, tel. +43 664 542 1573, and Counsellor Vesa Vasara, tel. +43 664 151 6885, Permanent Mission of Finland to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Vienna