OSCE Countries

As Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis addressed the OSCE Permanent Council on January 13, speaking in his capacity as the new OSCE Chairman-in-Office, he was be keenly aware of the challenges facing Lithuania’s chairmanship in the coming year.

A geopolitical standoff, involving primarily Russia and the United States, garnered most of the attention at the early December summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has concluded its two-day summit with a declaration of their principles.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, whose country holds the 2010 OSCE Chairmanship, called the declaration a "historic success."

There was no agreement, however, on an action plan on international conflicts and reforms.

The first day of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe summit in Kazakhstan produced consensus on the need to address security threats. But as participants prepared for the final day of the gathering, deep divisions remained on key democratization issues, including human rights standards.

For over three decades, the US Helsinki Commission has promoted the former Soviet states’ compliance with international human rights norms. Now the commission appears to be expanding the scope of its mission to include economic affairs.