BULGARIA'S chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is proving to mean a hectic schedule for Foreign Minister Solomon Passi.
In the past week, he has taken part in meetings in Vienna and Brussels, and currently is in Washington. In recent weeks, he has represented OSCE interests at other top-level meetings, including one in Moscow.
Bulgaria took over the OSCE chairmanship-in-office on January 1, succeeding The Netherlands in this task.
The OSCE is the largest regional security organisation in the world, with 55 participating states from three continents - Europe, Central Asia and North America. It is active in early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation.
On February 19, Passi opened the winter meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE in Vienna. The high-ranking meeting, in the Hoffburg Castle, was attended by parliamentary delegates from all OSCE member states.
Passi, in his opening speech, said: "I would like to stress the word continuity. Continuity between the different chairmanships. The last thing this organisation needs is the introduction of new priorities, new strategies, and new initiatives by every new chairman-in-office. This chairmanship will focus on our Maastricht tasks, and build on the priorities set by The Netherlands in 2003," Passi said.
Passi also outlined the three main forums ahead of OSCE during the year. The first will be held in Berlin, on April 28 and 29, and will focus on anti-Semitism. The second forum, in Brussels, will discuss tolerance and the fight against racism, xenophobia and discrimination. The venue of the third will be Paris. The forum will deal with the relationship between racist, xenophobic and anti-Semitic propaganda on the Internet and hate crimes.
During the three years of OSCE chairmanship, Bulgaria will be seeking solutions to a number of regional conflicts. One of these is the Transdniestrian conflict, which is said to be perhaps the most difficult one to tackle. The search for consensus in the region has failed several times since 1990. Bulgaria has stated its ambition to try to find an acceptable solution.
Passi reported a moderate success, saying that at a recent meeting of the official mediators in Sofia in January, it was decided that the mediators, the Republic of Moldova and the representatives of Transdniestria, within a five-sided format, will continue to work on a formula for a constitutional arrangement that would meet the expectations and win the support of the overwhelming majority of Moldovans.
After the separation of two republics from Moldova- Transdniestria and Gagauzia, ethnic tensions rose, until in 1992 they led to armed clashes.
Immediately after the Vienna meeting, on February 23, Passi attended a meeting in Brussels of OSCE Troika Ministers within the EU Troika.
He said support for infrastructure projects in Southeast Europe, especially in the Western Balkans, was sometimes withheld because they failed to meet normal business criteria, but supporting economic development in the region was essential for ensuring political stability and regional integration.
"We should consider development of infrastructure as a political priority and bring a more political approach, not just a business approach, to bear," Passi said.
Passi thanked Irish foreign minister Brian Cowen, whose country currently holds the EU Presidency, for the strong support the EU is providing for OSCE activities.
The agenda of the meeting, which was attended by EU High Representative Javier Solana, External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten and OSCE Secretary General Jan Kubis, as well as the members of both Troikas, included once again the situation in Moldova, Georgia and Belarus.
Passi said the OSCE hoped, with EU support, to provide long-term assistance for Georgia, going beyond next month's parliamentary elections, to assist in the areas of law enforcement, good governance and fighting corruption.
While in Brussels, Passi met with Guenter Verheugen, EU Enlargement Commissioner. Bulgaria has described as good and realistic the financial package proposed for Bulgaria and Romania. This will serve as a foundation for achieving further harmonisation with the member states, which, in turn, will push fast forward Bulgaria's accession talks on the financial chapters - those on agriculture, regional policy and budget.
Verheugen said that Bulgaria had achieved considerable progress in its EU preparations, and reassured Passi that each aspirant country will be assessed according to its own merits.
From Brussels, Passi departed for a visit to the US, from February 25 to 27. In New York and Washington, Passi was scheduled to meet with US secretary of state Colin Powell, Lorn Craner, deputy secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labour, assistant secretary of state Elizabeth Jones and White House security adviser Steve Hadley, as well as with John Mroz, president of the East West Institute in Washington.