Minister for Foreign Affaris addresses OSCE's Ministerial Council

Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, today and yesterday attended the annual OSCE Ministerial Council in Helsinki, Finland. This year 50 foreign ministers participated in the two-day meeting. Mrs. Gisladottir also had bilateral meetings with her colleagues from Germany, France, Spain, United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. Iceland has good supporters within this group, there is understanding of the situation Iceland finds itself in, as well as willingness to facilitate a solution to issues that remain unresolved.

In her speech to the Ministerial Council the foreign minister commended the constructive and proactive role of the OSCE in addressing the crisis in Georgia earlier this year. She emphasized the need for monitors from the OSCE and the EU to have full access to all parts of Georgia, including South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The OSCE should continue to play a proactive role together with other key regional and international institutions, to calm and eventually solve these frozen conflicts. The best path to long term, sustainable security remains shared respect for fundamental values of democracy, rule of law and human rights.

Mrs. Gisladottir emphasized the importance of protecting human rights in the fight against terrorism, it was vital that all governments, not least those which present themselves as leaders in the field of human rights, establish and apply anti-terrorism legislation carefully and precisely.