Juergen KlimkeCOPENHAGEN, 6 August 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) has appointed German parliamentarian Juergen Klimke to serve as the PA’s first Special Representative for the Baltic Sea Area.
The newly established position will help focus and strengthen the Assembly’s work on promoting security and co-operation in the Baltic Sea area, while also enhancing the Assembly’s co-operation with other international organizations in the region.
“The peoples and countries of the Baltic Sea area have special links in terms of history, economics, environmental issues and foreign policy. This new position will help boost the OSCE PA’s awareness of dynamics both within this important region, as well as between it and other regions and countries. Doing so will lead to more informed dialogue among OSCE parliamentarians and better understanding of one another. I am confident in Mr. Klimke’s abilities and expertise for this role and I look forward to working with him,” President Kanerva said.
In accepting the appointment, Klimke said:
"In light of recent developments, it is important that the Baltic Sea region has its own dimension within the OSCE PA. Important issues to deal with include the increasing security concerns in light of the crisis in and around Ukraine, the situation of Russian minorities in the region and more. I welcome my task to improve co-operation between the Baltic Sea countries within the Assembly and to promote constructive work relating to this region.”
The mandate of the OSCE PA Special Representative for the Baltic Sea Area is to:
• Raise awareness in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly regarding the Baltic Sea area;
• Promote co-operation within the OSCE PA among all Delegations from the Baltic Sea area;
• Maintain contact with and follow up on the work of the OSCE regarding the Baltic Sea area;
• Maintain contact with and follow up on the work of other international organizations dealing with and involved in the Baltic Sea area;
• Monitor the situation in the Baltic Sea area and report to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and to the President on developments.
Klimke currently serves as the Deputy Head of the German Delegation to the OSCE PA. He has been a Member of the German Bundestag since 2002, where he represents Hamburg, a major hub for Baltic Sea commerce. Klimke is also a Member of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference and is an expert on the region’s foreign policy and maritime issues. He has a background in law and journalism.
There are currently nine other OSCE PA Special Representatives. Each holds a mandate pertaining to a specific issue within the Assembly’s work or to a specific geographical area within, or of particular importance to, the Assembly.
Click here for a full listing.
