OSCE PA President sees 2009 as year of great challenges

PanARMENIAN.Net - The President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Joao Soares of Portugal, said in an interview for the OSCE PA website that he sees this year as one of great challenges, particularly when it comes to the so-called frozen conflicts.



"It is very important that both the governmental and parliamentary sides of the OSCE are ready to meet the challenges we face. As experienced parliamentarians from 55 parliaments, we have the power to influence the governmental side. And, of course, we can be on the frontline of the political discussions," he said.



President Soares outlined his priorities of the coming year and the role of the Parliamentary Assembly in addressing these challenges. "We will consider new initiatives at the parliamentary level in the Caucasus after the Special Envoy to the Caucasus, Swedish Parliamentarian and OSCE PA President Emeritus Goran Lennmarker visits the region next month," he said.



Mr. Soares said that the Parliamentary Assembly is also paying "close attention" to Transdniestria and that he will visit Moldova and Transdniestria during the second week of February for talks with all political sides in that region.



He also discussed his hopes for the Greek chairmanship of the OSCE, the recent Russia-Ukraine gas dispute, the crisis in Georgia, as well as the proposals for a new European security architecture.



"I see clearly that the OSCE should be in the center of the discussion about a new security architecture and that is it the appropriate forum for this discussion," he said, the OSCE PA press office reports.