The first Plenary Meeting of the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation (FSC) under Tajik Chairmanship took place in the Hofburg Palace, Vienna on May 8. Tajikistan’ Deputy Foreign Minister Zohir Saidzoda formally opened the meeting.
Addressing representatives of OSCE participating States and Partners for Cooperation at the FSC, Mr. Saidzoda said that Tajikistan intends to perform its duties as Chair in good faith, guided by the established principles of equality, mutual respect, balance and continuity, according to the Tajik MFA information department.
According to him, politico-military cooperation in Central Asia, how to increase women’s participation in decision-making processes in the security sector, and eliminating the threat posed by small arms and light weapons and stockpiles of conventional ammunition are among the priorities of Tajikistan’s Chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation.
Other areas of focus will include strengthening the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; confidence-and security-building measures in the politico-military area; and continued efforts to consolidate common positions among States on the updating of the Vienna Document.
Saidzoda said that Tajikistan sees the OSCE as a unique regional organization capable of addressing a wide range of security and cooperation issues with significant potential for effective action.
He highlighted the already close cooperation between Tajikistan and the OSCE in the politico-military field, and said that Tajikistan’s FSC Chairmanship would build on this.
Saidzoda noted that Tajikistan will conduct its FSC Chairmanship on the basis of a balanced and impartial approach.
Tajik MFA information department says Tajikistan’s Program was widely welcomed by the OSCE participating States. The permanent delegations of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Canada, the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Turkey, the USA, Uzbekistan and the European Union to the OSCE made statements in support of the Tajik FSC Chairmanship.
Following the Plenary Meeting, Saidzoda reportedly met the OSCE Secretary General, Mr. Thomas Greminger, who congratulated Tajikistan on the beginning of its FSC Chairmanship and expressed the support of the Secretariat.
The Tajik Chairmanship of the FSC covers a period from May to August 2019.
The Forum for Security Co-operation is one of the OSCE’s two main regular decision-making bodies. Leaders at the 1992 Helsinki Summit of the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe – the OSCE’s predecessor – established the Forum for Security and Cooperation to strengthen the focus on politico-military security by providing for negotiations and consultations on military security and stability in the OCSE area.
The Forum provides a unique platform for the 57 OSCE participating States to discuss topical security challenges on an equal footing. The agenda for the weekly Forum meetings in Vienna always includes security dialogue, allowing participating States to raise and discuss security concerns and challenges. These discussions regularly lead to initiatives and measures to strengthen politico-military security.
The Forum Chairmanship rotates among the OSCE participating States, with each State holding the FSC Chairmanship for four months. A so-called Troika, comprising the former, present and incoming Chairmanships, ensures continuity in the Forum’s work. The Forum approves documents and decisions by consensus. The OSCE Secretariat’s FSC Support Section supports participating States’ efforts to implement FSC commitments, which – like all OSCE commitments – are politically binding.
