Moscow is calling on the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to take a closer look at the problem of national minorities, including the problem of non-citizenship in the European Union, the Voice of Russia correspondent Ksenya Melnikova quotes Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying.
"It is necessary to be more active and insistent in approaching the goal of improvement of the national minorities' condition, primarily the problem of mass non-citizenship in the European Union, where hundreds of thousands of people are deprived of the right to vote and receive education in their native language," Lavrov said at an OSCE ministerial session in Kiev on Thursday.
"We are calling on the OSCE new high commissioner on national minorities, Ms. Thors, to make sure that the recommendations adopted by her predecessors on eliminating this non-citizenship anomaly on the territory of the enlightened Europe are implemented," Lavrov said.
OSCE ODIHR needs clear-cut rules in election observation and contacts with NGOs – Lavrov
Moscow wants a charter of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to be adopted as soon as possible and reiterates the need to agree upon generally accepted rules for the OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, the Voice of Russia correspondent Ksenya Melnikova reports.
"If the OSCE wants to boost its role and enhance its authority and relevance, it needs a firm foundation. The adoption of the OSCE Charter would become a key contribution to the Helsinki+40 agreements [the process of OSCE reforms for the 40th anniversary of the Helsinki agreements to be marked in 2015]," Lavrov said at the OSCE Ministerial Council in Keiv on Thursday.
"It would be advisable to make other aspects of the OSCE reform a harmonious part of this package, including the need to fulfill obligations concerning the principles of field missions' work and the adoption of understandable and generally accepted rules for the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, especially in the issue of electoral observation, steps to restore order in non-budget projects and methods of cooperation with non-governmental organizations," he said.
"One cannot keep pretending forever that problems do not exist in these spheres," the Russian minister said.
Russia's proposal on developing OSCE conflict prevention principles remains on table – Lavrov
Moscow expects the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to approve Russia's initiative on basic principles of conflict prevention and crisis settlement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, the Voice of Russia correspondent Ksenya Melnikova reports.
"I would like once again to draw your attention to the initiative Russia proposed in 2009 on developing basic principles of conflict prevention and crisis settlement," Lavrov said at an OSCE ministerial session in Kiev on Thursday.
"Our document remains on the negotiating table," he said.
Moscow calls for amending OSCE media freedom representative's mandate
Moscow favors the amendment of the mandate of the OSCE representative on freedom of the media, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, the Voice of Russia correspondent Ksenya Melnikova reports. "The new realities of the media environment dictate the need to update the mandate of the OSCE representative on freedom of the media, which was adopted back in 1997," Lavrov said at an OSCE ministerial session in Kiev on Thursday.
"Russia has made a specific proposal on its amendment and asks for its consideration," he said.
"The provision of security of journalists performing their professional duties and improvement of the relevant legal basis call for special attention," he said.
"We are primarily concerned about multiple instances of violation of the rights of journalists working abroad, especially mass abductions of journalists, including citizens of many OSCE member-states, by extremist opposition groups in Syria," Lavrov said.
"Schengen barriers" do not correspond to the Helsinki Act of visa regimes – Lavrov
Russia believes that "Schengen barriers" do not meet the obligations of the Helsinki Final Act on visa facilitation, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during the OSCE meeting in Kiev.
11.12.2013
