VIENNA, January 21. /TASS/. Russia is ready to provide maximum assistance so that the new OSCE secretary general could work effectively, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday at an online meeting of the organization’s Permanent Council.
Lukashevich was certain that new OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid’s rich experience would enable her to effectively coordinate the work of all OSCE executive bodies, facilitate dialogue and promote a unifying agenda. "Russia is ready to provide you with maximum assistance. We wish you complete success during your tenure," he stressed.
The Russian envoy noted that the large-scale challenges faced by the OSCE in 2020, including the coronavirus pandemic, highlighted the long overdue need to improve the effectiveness of that organization. "As you know, Russia suggested resuming practical work in that direction. We hope that it will be possible to resume such efforts in the immediate future under the auspices of the current chairmanship and with the active support of the secretariat and you personally, Ms. Helga Schmid," he said.
On December 3, 2020, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested setting up an informal working group to improve the OSCE’s effectiveness during the Swedish chairmanship in a video address to the participants in the meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council. According to Russia’s top diplomat, reforming the organization should be aimed at boosting the transparency and efficiency of the work of the secretariat, institutions and field presences, improving the election observation methodology and budgetary processes and optimizing the program of events and preparing the Ministerial Council’s meetings.