Greece's Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis on Monday held talks with the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Ambassador Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, who is on a visit to Athens.

In statements after the meeting, Bakoyannis said that Greece considered the OSCE a "driving force" for stability and security over a very large area stretching from Vancouver to Vladivostok and noted that Greece's great interest in the organization was its main motive for seeking the OSCE chairmanship for 2010 or 2011.

She also noted that the OSCE Secretariat had a "pivotal" role in efforts to reform the OSCE in line with the "new international collective security and cooperation environment" and underlined Greece's support in this effort.

Apart from the need to reform the OSCE, Bakoyannis and Brichambaut discussed Greece's candidacy for the OSCE chairmanship, as well as developments in the Balkans and the future status of Kosovo.

Another topic on the agenda was illegal trafficking in human beings, where Bakoyannis said that Greece "has adopted a plan of action and proceeded to create the necessary legislative, administrative and financial basis" for the success of efforts against this phenomenon.

"We are determined to intensify this effort even further," the Greek minister added.
Brichambaut noted the OSCE's high degree of interest in southeastern Europe, pointing out that it currently had 3,000 people stationed there and a significant portion of its budget allocated to that region.

Up to 1,000 of these had been in Kosovo since 1999, in a bid to help the province set up democratic institutions, protect minorities and create an environment that would allow the people of Kosovo decide on the best possible future status, he added.

The OSCE Secretary-General thanked Greece for its interest and assistance to the OSCE's efforts to continue its activities and help all sides in Kosovo in order to establish peace, prosperity and rapprochement with Europe.

Source: Athens News Agency

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