The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania,

recalling its Resolution of 4 July 2010 on Lithuania’s Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in 2011 which considers the Lithuanian Chairmanship of this Organization to be a national priority and a tool in attaining the goals and objectives of Lithuania’s foreign policy shared by other participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (hereinafter referred to as the “OSCE”) and aimed at reinforcing security, confidence and democracy within the entire OSCE,

acknowledging the merits of the OSCE in promoting co-operation and developing a political dialogue of all the participating States of the OSCE in the political and military, economic and environmental as well as the human dimensions; in creating an ambience of security and confidence, responding to new security challenges, ensuring respect for human rights, promoting tolerance and combating all forms of racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism,

emphasizing the importance of parliamentary diplomacy and inter-parliamentary co-operation undergoing in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly;  

recalling the successful Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Vilnius in 2009 and its important decisions on the issues of energy security, protection of human rights and freedoms and historical justice,

qualifies the Lithuanian OSCE Chairmanship, which ended on 31 December 2011, as the success of the whole country and the national diplomatic service in further strengthening the image of Lithuania as a reliable, active and responsible member of the international community,

points out that during the OSCE Chairmanship Lithuania had actively and consistently implemented the Chairmanship Programme across all three dimensions defined by the OSCE,    

emphasizesthe inter-parliamentary co-operation actively developed during the Lithuanian OSCE Chairmanship,

values active participation of the delegation of the Seimas of Lithuania in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly;

supports the high-principled attitude of the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE and of many states in expressing concern about the deteriorating human rights situation in some OSCE regions and states, including neighbouring Belarus;

states that during the mentioned period the occurrence of the new conflict points was avoided in the entire OSCE and the resolution processes of the long-standing conflicts were based on the recognised principles of international law; welcomes the agreement reached this year after a six-year hiatus to resume the formal negotiations on the Transdniestrian conflict settlement, and encourages continuing active work on all long-standing conflicts;

supports the decisions adopted by the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Vilnius;

values consistent support of the Unites States, the European Union and other OSCE participating States to Lithuania’s Chairmanship in the OSCE;

supports the activity of the OSCE Officer for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Representative on Freedom of the Media, High Commissioner on National Minorities, and field operations;

supports the involvement of representatives of the Lithuanian and international civil society in international political processes when defending democracy, human rights and freedoms;

emphasizes the necessity to ensure that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, remains an essential part of the OSCE working agenda, and calls on the OSCE and the OSCE participating States to make more active efforts to ensure media freedom and journalists’ safety, to strengthen promotion of democratic values and the combating of all forms of discrimination and intolerance;

notes the importance of OSCE active actions in response to the existing and new security challenges, especially by strengthening border security and management, and fortifying democratic principles in the police activities, promoting the cooperation in the cyber security, combating the threats of terrorism, drugs and small arms proliferation, as well as trafficking in human beings, expanding cooperation in the areas of energy security and transport;

calls on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, while Lithuania is a member of the OSCE Troika in 2012, to give comprehensive support to the Irish OSCE Chairmanship and share the gained experience with the Ukrainian OSCE Chairmanship in 2013;

calls on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania in 2012, during Lithuania’s Chairmanship of the OSCE Asian Partners for Cooperation Group, to continue implementing joint assistance projects to Afghanistan and Central Asian states, especially in the areas of border security and management, by exploiting the capacities of the institutions of the Republic of Lithuania;

expresses the support for Mongolia’s application to become the OSCE participating State;

calls on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania to use the gained experience of Lithuania’s OSCE Chairmanship in the preparation for the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2013 and of the United Nations Security Council in 2014-2015.

 

 

 

 

 

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS                                                           IRENA DEGUTIENĖ