News and press releases

VIENNA, 6 May 2014 – The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter addressed Ministers of the Council of Europe in Vienna today about next steps of the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship in reversing the logic of escalation in Ukraine...

Bern, 3 May 2014 – Didier Burkhalter, Swiss Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, expressed his gratitude to all participating States involved in the efforts for the release of the seven military inspectors and their Ukrainian hosts who were detained in Sloviansk by a group of armed individuals.

INTERLAKEN, Switzerland, 29 April 2014 – Countering terrorism requires an inclusive and coordinated response at all levels, emphasized the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship in its conclusions to a two-day OSCE international counter-terrorism conference. Characterized by its strategic approach, involving all Executive Structures and Institutions, the OSCE should continue to build on its comparative advantages in close cooperation with other international actors.

ERGNETI, 28 April 2014- Today, the 44th meeting under the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) took place in Ergneti, co-facilitated by Toivo Klaar, the Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), and Ambassador Angelo Gnaedinger, the OSCE Special Representative for the South Caucasus...

INTERLAKEN, Switzerland, 28 April 2014 – The OSCE, with its comprehensive approach to security linking politico-military, economic and environmental and human rights objectives, was well-placed to assist participating States in preventing and combating terrorism, said Swiss Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Didier Burkhalter at the opening of an international counter-terrorism conference today.

BERN, 27 April 2014 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter condemned the detention of a group of military inspectors from OSCE participating States and of their Ukrainian hosts in Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine, and called for their release. One military inspector was set free today for health reasons, he confirmed. While this is a positive step, the OSCE continues to work at all levels – through the Special Monitoring Mission on the ground in Ukraine as well as through high-level political contacts – to assist for the release of all the detained persons, he said...

BELGRADE / TIRANA / PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 25 April 2014- Swiss Foreign Minister and Chairperson-in-Office, Didier Burkhalter, drew a positive conclusion from his two-day visit to the Western Balkans. In his meetings with high-level representatives of the authorities in Belgrade, Tirana and Prishtinë/Priština, he received strong backing for the engagement of the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship in the region...