Russian Foreign Minister meets OSCE next Chairman

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, currently attending a meeting of OSCE Foreign Ministers in Portugal, met Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the Netherlands' Minister of Foreign Affairs and OSCE's next rotation Chairman.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry's Press and Information Department, the two Ministers exchanged views on the current situation in the OSCE and the Organization's main activities in 2003 under the Netherlands' Chairmanship.

The two sides confirmed the OSCE's major role in the emerging new system of European security and highlighted the need for a balanced development of all dimensions in the OSCE's activities, including stronger efforts in the fight against terror.

The Ministers also pointed out the importance of the wide-ranged package of documents to be adopted at the meeting of OSCE Foreign Ministers, primarily the OSCE Counter-Terrorism Charter. Igor Ivanov and Jaap de Hoop Scheffer also discussed a number of issues pertaining to performance of OSCE's on-site missions and territorial institutions.

The Ministers touched upon relevant issues of the Russian-Dutch bilateral relations as well.

In addition, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry said, Igor Ivanov held on Friday a few bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Slovenia, Lithuania, Romania and Yugoslavia.

The Ministers discussed relevant issues of their countries' bilateral relations, exchanged opinions on the vital aspects of the current European and world political situation and considered prospects for developing the OSCE as a major element of the new architecture of European security.

The negotiating parties specifically pointed to the vital importance of the package of documents to be adopted at the current meeting of the OSCE Foreign Ministers, particularly the decisions to develop the OSCE Strategy for responding to the XXI century new threats and challenges to global stability, and the document on promoting further economic, scientific and technical cooperation in Europe.