VZCZCXRO7132
PP RUEHAST RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR
DE RUEHC #3936 0142308
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 142300Z JAN 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 7161
INFO ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS STATE 003936 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM RS GG OSCE
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO THE CIO 
 
 ¶1.  Post is authorized to present the following statement at 
the Permanent Council in Vienna on January 15. 
 
Begin text: 
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 
We are honored to welcome Foreign Minister Bakoyannis to the 
Permanent Council as the Chairman in Office for 2009.  The 
United States supports the objectives that you have set out 
here today.  We can assure you that the United States will 
stand with you in your efforts to strengthen the OSCE, 
including by providing the OSCE with a legal personality. 
 
As the OSCE begins the year 2009, we face a number of 
fundamental challenges to the OSCE's core mandate.  But there 
are also some genuine opportunities. 
 
Strengthening the protection and promotion of human rights, 
fundamental democratic freedoms and democratic governance, 
including free and fair elections, are key OSCE objectives 
and of enduring interest to the US government.  These core 
human dimension commitments are increasingly coming under 
fire in several participating States.  The OSCE is the only 
institution with the track record, common commitments and 
collaborative capacity to further these issues effectively 
throughout the region.  The United States believes it is 
indispensable that the OSCE maintain its focus on promoting 
fulfillment of these core human rights commitments, which 
include, but are not limited to, the rights of Roma 
individuals and gender equality. 
 
OSCE also has a vital role to play in highlighting and 
helping to resolve Europe,s outstanding protracted 
conflicts.  We welcome your already active and creative 
efforts to find a workable solution for the preservation of 
the OSCE Mission to Georgia, which can play a critical role 
in monitoring the military situation in the conflict regions, 
investigating human rights violations, responding to 
humanitarian concerns, and providing rehabilitation 
assistance.  We hope the Mission can be preserved and that 
its mandate can be expanded  to cover all territories covered 
by the August 12 ceasefire agreement brokered by French 
President Sarkozy.  We also welcome your commitment to find 
peaceful, long-term solutions to the Transnistria and 
Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts. 
 
Clearly, as these and other examples demonstrate, European 
security can and should be improved. In our view, existing 
institutions provide the right framework for doing so, and 
the OSCE is the right forum to discuss how best to move 
forward.  The OSCE is ideally suited to this task, given its 
comprehensive approach to European security which 
incorporates economic, human, and political-military aspects. 
 But we should limit ourselves to discussion for the time 
being.  There needs to be a truly compelling rationale before 
for an OSCE summit or other high-level meeting.  Before we 
start down such an important path, we should have a good idea 
of where it can lead and good reasons for going there. 
 
The commitments of the OSCE, developed over decades since 
Helsinki in 1975, are instrumental to our work.  Our priority 
should remain fulfillment of those commitments, including CFE 
Treaty obligations, respect for the human rights and 
fundamental freedoms of all persons, and a commitment to work 
together to resolve disputes peacefully. These should remain 
the fundamental basis for any next steps. 
 
We wish you and your mission here the best of luck.  Please 
be assured of the full support of the United States as you 
move forward. 
 
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 
RICE