Post date: Dec 06, 2012 2:50:26 PM
The OSCE conference opens in Dublin, with US Foreign Secretary Hillary Clinton calling for more cooperation and Russia's Sergei Lavrov accusing OSCE countries of exploiting security, as he highlights Moscow's opposition to the US-planned European antimissile defence system.
DUBLIN, IRELAND (DECEMBER 6, 2012) (OSCE POOL) - The Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) officially opened its two-day conference in Dublin on Thursday (December 6).
Delegates, including US Foreign Secretary Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign MinisterSergei Lavrov joined their counterparts and delegations from the 57 participating countries.Talks are expected to focus on resolving conflict and improving the security and rights of the citizens of the OSCE.
Clinton said while some progress has been in the past year, there still remains worrying trends of repression in the region.
"In Belarus, the government continues to systematically suppress human rights, detain political prisoners and intimidate journalists. In Ukraine the elections in October were a step back for democracy and we remain deeply concerned about the selective prosecution of opposition leaders."
She condemned countries which have blocked efforts to pass the Fundamental Freedoms in the Digital Age Declaration and said media freedom and freedom of assembly was still lacking in some countries. She called for consensus from OSCE members.
"We welcome any and all efforts to strengthen this organisation but that means empowering the institutions we already have to function free from interference not curtailing them. And it means implementing the commitments we have made to one another and to our citizens, not undermining them. So as we approach the 40th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, this is the time for the OSCE to once again take up the mantle of leadership, to push forward the frontiers of human rights and dignity," said Clinton.
Lavrov accused some OSCE member states and trying to draw new divisions with the union.
He also said these countries violated an OSCE clause that prevents one country from exploiting another nation's security to further its own.
He referred to the European antimissile defence system, to which Russia is deeply opposed.
Moscow views US plans to build this system in eastern Europe as a direct threat to Russian security.
"There is no practical implementation of the commitment (of member-states), specified within the Charter of the European security, not to strengthen own security on the expense of the others. You are aware of our point of view. That phenomenon is being most clearly reflected in the situation around the plans to create the European antimissile defence system," he said.
Lavrov also criticised what he called deteriorating control over Europe's conventional weapons stockpiles.
"This is the consequence of years-long attempts to use weapons control as an instrument for political gains," he said.
Later on Thursday, Lavrov and Clinton will meet international Syria mediator Lakhdar Brahimi in Dublin to try to put a U.N. peace process for Syria back on track.