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President of the Republic addresses participants of the OSCE Summit in Astana

Astana, 2.12.2010  |  press release


The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, delivers his address at the Summit of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (photo: Stanko Gruden/STA)The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, delivered a speech at the Summit of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on the second day of his working visit to Astana. In his speech, Dr Türk stressed that the world has changed dramatically in the 35 years that have passed since the adoption of the Helsinki Final Act. No longer burdened by ideological divisions, we now face a host of global threats arising from poverty, the economic crisis, a deteriorating environment, as well as threats such as terrorism, various forms of organised crime and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Dr Türk also said that military deterrence has ceased to be the sole guarantor of security, which at present depends on various interconnected variables.

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, delivers his address at the Summit of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (photo: Stanko Gruden/STA)Dr Türk stressed that hard security must go hand in hand with soft security and cited as examples the role of the OSCE in election observation and protection of national minorities. He said that it is also important to deepen trust among diverse political cultures within the OSCE area with a view to finding solutions for specific crisis situations or frozen conflicts, such as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and broader security challenges. The strengthening of trust is also important for ensuring better cooperation with other organisations, such as NATO. Dr Türk considered the proposal for a European Security Treaty put forward by the Russian President, to be an innovative and farsighted contribution to discussions on security in the OSCE area.

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, delivers his address at the Summit of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (photo: Stanko Gruden/STA)Dr Türk concluded his address by saying that the main aim of the OSCE Summit is to encourage the further development and transformation of the Organisation. He therefore encouraged all participating states and negotiators to reach consensus on a final document and action plan, which will enable the Organisation to address current challenges in security in an efficient way. He stressed that the basic principles of the Helsinki Final Act have introduced human-centred elements into the understanding of security that remain pertinent in the present day and they can be strengthened and upgraded as necessary to correspond to the current political and security reality of the OSCE area.

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, meets the President of the Republic of Finland, Tarja Halonen (photo: Stanko Gruden /STA)On the margins of the OSCE Summit, Dr Türk held a bilateral meeting with the President of the Republic of Finland, Tarja Halonen. The two presidents discussed the functioning of the European Union, mainly economic conditions and priorities in the common foreign and security policy. They agreed that dialogue and innovative ideas on how to strengthen the functioning of the European Union and secure its global role are needed and emphasised the importance of strengthened cooperation on various, including informal, levels. The Finnish President mentioned that it is of vital importance for the EU to overcome the economic difficulties and to stabilise its economy as soon as possible, since it is essential for its functioning.

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, meets the President of the Republic of Austria, Dr Heinz Fischer (photo: Stanko Gruden /STA)Dr Türk also met the President of the Republic of Austria, Dr Heinz Fischer. They discussed the possibilities of a successful conclusion of the OSCE Summit and also devoted attention to the functioning of the European Union and its relations with the Russian Federation and the Eastern Partnership. They agreed that the European Union should make additional efforts to unify positions and clearly define and prioritise its political and future development goals.
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