OSCE PA Autumn Meeting begins with focus on transnational threats, challenges of the Mediterranean region and the crisis in Syria

BUDVA, Montenegro, 14 October 2013 – Parliamentarians from across the OSCE area have gathered for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's Autumn Meeting in Budva, where today they heard addresses from OSCE PA President Ranko Krivokapic and Milo Đukanovic, Prime Minister of Montenegro.

Opening the Parliamentary Conference "Addressing Transnational Threats and Protecting Human Rights: The Role of the OSCE," President Krivokapic noted that Montenegro serves in a unique position to build bridges across the OSCE.

"Montenegro has always been the bridge of cultures between the different civilizations in the Mediterranean, a bridge between the East and West, North and South. Exactly that spirit of merging different cultures and ideas represents the core being of the OSCE itself. The famous south Slavic Nobel prize winner Ivo Andric has written that from all of the things that man can create bridges are most valuable and most important. This is why our joint results will be measured through our capacity of building bridges – bridges of interstate, parliamentarian and regional co-operation," he said.

"The Helsinki +40 process," he added, "is the latest effort to revitalize the vision and the role of the OSCE in the Euro-Atlantic and Euro-Asian security architecture and increase its effectiveness. Its outcome should mark a new époque of the OSCE development: reform our organization, deepen the existing comparative advantages, strengthen mutual thrust, provide mechanisms which will give an answer to new challenges and overcome current functional problems which diminish the efficiency in performing.

"With regards to that I would especially like to emphasize the call from the Istanbul Declaration to the Ministerial Council that is necessary to provide full, effective and long-term mandates to the field missions, which are playing the key part in sharing the values of the OSCE in the overall democratization and reform in our member countries," President Krivokapic said.

Prime Minister Milo Đukanovic spoke about the comprehensive approach to security of the OSCE and highlighted Montenegro as an example of multi-ethnic dialogue.

"Montenegro is a country of ethnic, cultural and religious diversity," he said. "We are fully aware of the importance of dialogue and tolerance. Promoting dialogue is the maxim of European and global integration and that is the basis of Montenegro's approach."

The Autumn Meeting began Sunday with the Assembly's Mediterranean Forum, which included a special debate on Syria. President Krivokapic opened the meeting with a call for parliamentarians to ensure that the OSCE's ongoing Helsinki +40 process incorporates a strong Mediterranean component.

"August 2015 will mark the 40th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act," he said. "Let me point out that, in this document, an entire chapter is devoted to the Mediterranean region. Since then, the importance of the Mediterranean region for the OSCE area has only been growing. As such, I urge all parliamentarians from the Mediterranean to add their voice to the Helsinki +40 process."

Also addressing the Mediterranean Forum was Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, who stressed the need for co-operation and parliamentary dialogue on both sides of the Mediterranean.

"We must all take responsibility to meet the challenges before us: the situation of refugees who arrive en masse and in very precarious conditions on the shores of the Mediterranean, the humanitarian consequences of the war in Syria, democratic transformations in the southern Mediterranean and the Middle East. The PACE Partner for Democracy status is a powerful tool for progress on these topics. Rights have no borders and I hope that our two assemblies will full use of all the tools of dialogue and parliamentary diplomacy to find appropriate solutions," said President Mignon.

In the second session of the Mediterranean Forum, the parliamentarians debated the situation in Syria, with several delegates pointing out that the response to the crisis has so far represented a failure of the international system and calling for greater commitment before the situation deteriorates further.

Opened by Igor Luksic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, the debate included the participation of members of the Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation and many OSCE participating States from across the region, including Greece, Turkey, Malta, Cyprus, Spain, France, and Italy.

"Countries of the Mediterranean are undergoing the process of historical transformation that requires support of the international partners," said Foreign Minister Luksic in his address to the Assembly. "In order to have a successful democratic transition, it is necessary to introduce concrete measures and projects that will strengthen democratic institutions, ensure freedom of speech and expression, empower civil society and encourage economic growth."

Also yesterday, the OSCE PA's Standing Committee of heads of delegations met to discuss ongoing activities of the Assembly, including the recent election observation mission to Azerbaijan. The OSCE Special Co-ordinator for that mission, Michel Voisin (MP, France), and the head of the OSCE PA delegation, Doris Barnett (MP, Germany) presented their reports, providing for a lively exchange of views that included the participation of Bahar Muradova, the head of Azerbaijan's delegation to the Assembly.

The 2013 Autumn Meeting is hosted by the Parliament of Montenegro and continues tomorrow with debates on the security effects of the economic crisis and a special debate on the integration of diverse societies, featuring the newly appointed OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Astrid Thors.

Additional information about the meeting – including programmes in English, French and Russian – is available here. Photos are available on the OSCE PA's Flickr page. Follow onTwitter @oscepa #AutumnMeeting.

This is a press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The views expressed in this press release do not necessarily reflect those of the OSCE Chairmanship, nor of all OSCE participating States.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 323 parliamentarians from 57 countries spanning, Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international cooperation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.