One year after the OSCE Ministerial Council in Basel under the Swiss Chairmanship, the foreign ministers of OSCE participating states will meet from 3 to 4 December 2015 in Belgrade. The agenda for this year's meeting includes security in Europe, the Ukraine conflict and current challenges such as the refugee crisis and the threat from terrorism. Mr Burkhalter will give a speech during the plenary debate and will also attend a varied programme of further events. This will also be the last time that he will participate in a meeting of the OSCE Troika, to which he belongs in his capacity as OSCE Chairperson for 2014, alongside Chairperson-in-Office Ivica Dacic, and German Minister for Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chairperson for 2016. The Troika supports the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in their work.
As part of the Belgrade meeting, the Panel of Eminent Persons on European Security as a Common Project will present its final report containing proposals to overcome the current crisis in European security. The 15-strong expert panel was established by Switzerland, in close cooperation with Serbia and Germany, at the OSCE Ministerial Council in Basel in December 2014. Its role has been to encourage a broad discussion of the fundamental issues, and ways of strengthening cooperative security in Europe.
Mr Burkhalter will otherwise use his time at the OSCE Ministerial Council to foster bilateral contacts and dialogue.
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