Switzerland on Wednesday took over the Chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
"Switzerland wants to make a tangible contribution to fostering security and stability, improving people's lives and strengthening the OSCE's capacity to act," Switzerland's Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter, said in a statement posted on the Organisation's website.
Burkhalter said geographic priorities were the Western Balkans and South Caucasus and said he had appointed Special Representatives for each of the regions: Ambassador Gerhard Stoudmann for the Western Balkans and Ambassador Angelo Gnaedinger for the South Caucasus.
One of the other first acts of the OSCE Chairmanship has been the re-appointment of Andrzej Kasprzyk as the Personal Representative of the new Chairmanship on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Kasprzyk has been re-appointed on this position for the 17th consecutive year.
source: commonspace.eu with osce.org
