President Petros Efthymiou addresses the OSCE PA Winter Meeting in Vienna.VIENNA, 24 February 2011 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Petros Efthymiou today at the Winter Meeting called for a renewal of the Organization for Security in Cooperation in Europe through deeper engagement with countries in transition and higher level political leadership at the helm of the 56-country organization. 

“I hope that we can muster wisdom and political will to take the OSCE out of ‘storage’ and help it to live up to its potential,” Mr. Efthymiou said to a gathering of more than 240 parliamentarians. “We have been discussing improvements without ever undertaking improvements.” 

“It is my hope that we can begin to mobilize to renew this organization,” he said. “One important step in this process will be the selection of the next Secretary General, following the end of the term of Mr. de Brichambaut. I hope that our governments will agree that the time is now to upgrade the organization by selecting a high-calibre political personality to fulfill this position.” Mr. Efthymiou spoke of the importance of engaging countries in transition, whether in the Mediterranean region or elsewhere.

 “I had the privilege of visiting the Kyrgyz Republic with a number of OSCE PA colleagues. This country is undergoing an important transition, and can benefit from our support as they establish the first parliamentary system in the region,” Mr. Efthymiou said. “We are fortunate to have a very effective OSCE field mission there, to contribute to the process, but it – and indeed all our field missions – also needs support from us all. Our staff needs our political backing to ensure that our work remains relevant and effective.”