OSCE Head of Centre speaks at NATO conference on Central Asian security

Ambassador Natalia Zarudna, Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana, spoke on the OSCE’s role in regional security at a conference in Astana on 3 April 2014, dedicated to the function of international organizations in Central Asian security.

The event was initiated by the Embassies of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania and Slovakia to mark 20 years of the NATO Partnership for Peace programme, as well as anniversaries of their membership in the Organization.

Representatives of NATO, EU, UN and the OSCE participated in a panel discussion on Central Asian security and the perspectives of future engagement, among other things, in view of the ongoing drawdown of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) from Afghanistan.

“Issues of security in the OSCE area are addressed by many international and regional institutions, which differ in their objectives, format, methods and tools of action, but are all ultimately focused on achieving a common goal,” said Ambassador Zarudna in her speech to the participants.

In this regard, she emphasized the unique role of OSCE, which “serves not only as a forum for political dialogue at the highest level and co-ordination of activities among the various international security organizations, but also as a platform for practical action aimed at early warning, conflict prevention, settlement and post-conflict rehabilitation.”