Austria aims to resolve conflicts in OSCE area
By Rashid Shirinov
One of Austria’s main priorities in the OSCE will be the collective work in the security field, aimed to avoid escalation of conflicts in the OSCE countries’ territories, said Sebastian Kurz, OSCE chairperson-in-office and Austria’s Foreign Minister.
The FM made the remark as he presented his country’s chairmanship program and priorities to the OSCE Permanent Council on January 12 in Vienna.
Noting that today, the world demonstrates instability and growing distrust, Kurz said that Austria’s efforts during the OSCE chairmanship will be aimed at the restoration of trust.
Kurz added that the country will fight radicalism and terrorism, which pose the biggest threat to society.
The stability and safety of all people living in Europe will depend on the success of Austria’s chairmanship and its forthcoming activities in the OSCE, he said.
Kurz also thanked Germany for the work it carried out in 2016.
Austria took over the OSCE Chairmanship from Germany on January 1, 2017.
The Austrian minister, speaking at the 71st session of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2016, noted that the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be among the priorities of his country's presidency at the OSCE.
Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.
---
Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz