Federal Councillor Calmy-Rey attends OSCE meeting of ministers in Kazakhstan

Micheline Calmy-Rey, as Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), will represent Switzerland at the OSCE ministerial meeting in Almaty. The purpose of the meeting is to review the current security policy challenges in the Eurasian and Euro-Atlantic regions and discuss possible solutions. 

Among the matters to be discussed are a more prominent role for the OSCE in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, strengthening efforts to control conventional arms, and greater involvement by the OSCE in combating transnational dangers including terrorism and the smuggling of drugs and human beings. 

“Switzerland sees the OSCE as the central organisation for security policy questions in Europe; it therefore favours strengthening the instruments at its disposal,” said Mrs Calmy-Rey on the eve of the meeting. 

The meeting is also expected to decide whether or not a summit should be held this year of all 56 OSCE member states. If the participants are able to agree on a common agenda, the summit would be able to adopt a mandate for negotiations on the most pressing security problems in the OSCE region. 

Further Information :
Information FDFA,  +41 31 322 31 53, info@eda.admin.ch

Further information:

OSCE

Address for enquiries:

Information FDFA
Bundeshaus West
CH-3003 Bern
Tel.: (+41) 031 322 31 53
Fax: (+41) 031 324 90 47
E-Mail: info@eda.admin.ch

Publisher:

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs