Approaching 2013 OSCE Chairmanship Ukraine Declares Agenda

KYIV, Ukraine, September 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Early conflict prevention, solving longtime conflicts, post conflict restoration, overall regional safety and stability, strengthening of the democratic institutions, and reviving the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe are among Ukraine's top priorities for its 2013 OSCE Chairmanship, stated the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych in his speech at the 67^th UN General Assembly in New York.

As OSCE 2013 chair Ukraine aims to address the new challenges the OSCE states face, including energy safety issues, said President Ynukovych. Ukraine believes that compliance with the eroding Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe - the document puts limits on the amount of weaponry allowed in Europe - is the backbone of stability in the region.

Ukraine intends to become instrumental in the Geneva International Discussions over South Caucasus. The region is sore with three frozen conflicts - in Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. The OSCE 2013 chair has an ambition to facilitate negotiations in another troubled area - Transnistria, a Moldovan breakaway territory on the south-western border of Ukraine.

Ukraine has been actively participating in the attempts to solve the conflict, becoming a part of the so-called 5+2 talks. The negotiations feature Transnistria, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, OSCE, as well as the U.S. and the EU as observers. Latest round of 5+2 negotiations was held in July 2012. Ukraine made significant progress in the negotiations, having established effective contact with both Transnistrian and Moldovan leaders, said the representative of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Oleh Voloshyn. "We reckon that Transnistrian conflict is one of those which have the highest chances to be solved", he said, reports Rosbalt.

Earlier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Kostyantyn Hryshchenko stated that during its 2013 OSCE chairmanship Ukraine was determined to facilitate implementation of the organization's commitments in politico-military, environmental, economic, and human affairs.

During May - November 2011 Ukraine chaired the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Throughout the chairmanship the country introduced a number of measures to strengthen local democracies in the countries of Europe, adopted a new system of supervising over the implementation of the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as provided broader opportunities for PACE member state citizens to participate in local decision-making.