RF FM, OSCE Sec-Gen to discuss coop'n prospects in Moscow.

MOSCOW, June 22 (Itar-Tass) - Prospects for the development of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are to be
discussed here on Wednesday by Sergei Lavrov, Russian Minister of Foreign
Affairs, and Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, Secretary General of the OSCE,
who winds up his mission in this capacity on June 30.
Lavrov and de Brichambaut are to exchange views on the results of the
OSCE work in the past six years, including matters concerning a reform of
the Organization.
A Russian Foreign Ministry official pointed out, "Throughout the
period, cooperation on the part of Russia at various levels has been
businesslike and constructive". "Considering de de Brichambaut's
experience, the sides will examine prospects for the development of the
Organization, and interaction among the member-states," the official
specified.
The Russian Foreign Minister and the OSCE Secretary-General will also
consider, possibly, the state of affairs in Belarus, in the
Transcaucasus, and the position of ethnic minorities in the (post-Soviet)
Baltic States. Outlook for the Nagorno-Karabakh and Trans-Dniester peace
processes, considering the incremental changes that have begun to show in
efforts to settle the conflicts, are also figuring on the agenda in this
or that way.
Ever since the OSCE's predecessor -- the Conference on Security and
Cooperatton in Europe -- was founded in 1975, the sides have been
interacting on a regular basis. The Conference was renamed into the OSCE
in 1995. The key purpose of cooperation is to ensure security and
stability in Europe, in the post-Soviet space, in particular.
Russia and the OSCE act as guarantors of peace in the Nagorno-Karabakh
and Trans-Dniester peace processes as members of the Minsk Group and the 5
plus 2 mechanism respectively. The sides are also mediators at the Geneva
discussions on security in the Transcaucasus.
The OSCE is the world's largest interregional and intergovernmental
organization which tackles security issues. It currently brings together
56 countries, including all European ones, five countries in Central Asia
(Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan), the
United States and Canada. Russia confirmed its participation in the
Organization as the Soviet Union's successor in January 1992.
OSCE summits are the supreme body of the Organization. They are held
once in two to three years depending on the political situation. The
Council of Ministers is the central directive and governing body of the
OSCE. The Council's sessions at the level of Foreign ministers are held
once a year in the interim between summits.
The coordinating role in the work of the Organization is played by the
OSCE Chairman-in-Office. The Chairman's functions are assigned to the
Foreign ministers of an OSCE presiding member-state on the basis of
rotation.