New OSCE Chairperson to present priorities in Vienna on Thursday

The new OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara will outline the Ukrainian Chairmanship’s priorities to the OSCE Permanent Council on Thursday, January 17, in Vienna, Info-Prim Neo reports. Advancing the resolution of protracted conflicts, including the Transdniestrian settlement; making progress in arms control and confidence-building measures, promoting environmental aspects of energy-related activities and supporting fight against human trafficking are among the priorities to be presented, the OSCE Mission to Moldova says in a press release. Ukraine took over the annual rotating OSCE Chairmanship on 1 January 2013 from Ireland. In 2014 and 2015 the OSCE will be chaired by Switzerland and Serbia, respectively. The Permanent Council is one of the OSCE's main regular decision-making bodies gathering representatives of all 57 participating States of the Organization and 11 Partners for Co-operation. It convenes weekly in Vienna to discuss developments in the OSCE area and to make decisions.