Priorities of the Maltese OSCE Chairmanship Presented in Vienna

Vienna, 26 January 2024 – The inaugural meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) was held under the Chairmanship of Malta. The OSCE Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign, European Affairs and Trade of Malta, Ian Borg, presented the priorities of the Maltese Chairmanship in 2024.

According to Minister Borg, Malta intends to make maximum use of the Organisation’s instruments and mechanisms and its potential as a platform for comprehensive and cooperative security. The Maltese Chairmanship will pursue a balanced approach in all dimensions.

The Maltese Chairmanship will focus on combating transnational threats, promoting compliance with conventional arms control obligations, closing the digital divide, adapting to and combating climate change, fighting corruption, combating violence against women and trafficking in human beings, and improving food security.

In support of the Chair-in-Office’s priorities, the Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan, Mukhtar Tileuberdi, stressed the importance of maintaining the OSCE as a unique forum for equal and respectful political dialogue on a wide range of security issues, following the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, the Charter of Paris and the Astana Commemorative Declaration.

As priority areas for cooperation in the Central Asian region, the Kazakh delegation suggested focusing on addressing water issues in the region and noted the importance of strengthening the international community's efforts to save the Aral and Caspian.