Cyprus takes over OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation presidency

Cyprus, along with Croatia and Denmark, is taking over the 2007 presidency of the Forum for Security Cooperation of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
According to an official press release, during Wednesday’s first meeting of the Forum for 2007, which was held in Vienna, Minister Plenipotentiary Spyros Attas, whos is presiding over the Forum for the first term of 2007, said that the Forum has before it an ambitious programme, both regarding the volume of work and the content.
”We aspire to the active participation and support of the 56 OSCE member states to achieve our goals,” he said, adding that during its presidency, Cyprus would be in close cooperation with Spain, which is presiding over the OSCE.
During Wednesday’s meeting, the presidency presented its programme and elaborated on its priorities. Among the most important activities of the Forum is the meeting to combat smuggling of small arms and light weapons (SALW), which will be held on 21 March 2007.
The Cypriot presidency submitted proposals for the more active participation of the Forum in the OSCE conference Partners for Cooperation, in which Middle East, African and Asian countries participate.
The Forum for Security Cooperation was established in 1992 in the OSCE framework. The control of armaments, measures to build confidence and security, the struggle against terrorism and the dissemination of weapons are some of the issues on which its activities focus.