Madame Chair,
It is our pleasure to welcome Ambassador Michael Davenport to the Permanent Council, for the first time in his capacity as Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. As others, we thank him for his latest report and for presenting the work of the Mission in a broader political context.
Norway welcomes the progress made on democratisation, human and community rights for all groups in society, security, and public safety. Of special importance to us, are the efforts to strengthen the rule of law, good governance, the electoral processes, support to minority communities, as well as the work on combatting gender-based and domestic violence. Progress in all these fields of work is essential for Kosovo’s development into a democratic, multiethnic and prosperous society.
Madame Chair,
The report presented today contains several good examples of how the impact and result of the Mission’s activities can be showcased. Just to take one example from the report, it is clear that the Mission’s expert assistance to the Kosovo Police led to the validation of minimum professional standards for the police.
We are encouraged by the number of examples of result-oriented reporting and would welcome that the shift away from activity-oriented reporting continues.
Madame Chair,
The Field Operations are one of the greatest assets of this organisation. The Mission to Kosovo is no exception and remains the key international institution in Kosovo for building democracy and institutions and for protecting and promoting human rights for all parts of society.
Norway stands committed to supporting Kosovo in its process of recovering economically. A stable and prosperous Kosovo is crucial for the security and stability of South-East Europe, and consequently for the entire OSCE region. Efforts to strengthen regional cooperation and socio-economic development in Kosovo is important in this regard.
We also welcome that the EU-facilitated Dialogue on normalisations of relations between Pristina and Belgrade has continued during the reporting period. Maintaining this dialogue and finding suitable solutions based on the Brussels Agreement through compromise is paramount for the future development of Kosovo. In a situation with limited progress in the dialogue, the Mission in Kosovo remains as important as ever.
Thank you.