The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis met with Russian high-level politicians and officials in Moscow to outline the priorities of Lithuanian OSCE Chairmanship and to discuss the Organization’s activities in 2011.
“We will focus on a few concrete priorities, such as advancing settlement of unresolved conflicts within existing formats, promoting media freedom, energy security dialogue and promoting regional co-operation,” Azubalis said at the meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The Chairmanship aims to achieve tangible progress on the protracted conflicts during 2011, Azubalis said.
“We will work to resume official negotiations in '5+2' format on Transdniestria and build on the positive dynamics achieved last year. We support the Geneva international discussions and the efforts of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to resolve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and promote confidence building between the parties to the conflict,” he said. “In this context, we support Russia’s efforts aimed at making progress towards a negotiated settlement.”
Azubalis praised the role of OSCE field operations, noting that they “provide an invaluable service in helping the participating States fulfill their commitments,” the OSCE said on its website.
