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Lamberto Zannier appointed new OSCE Secretary General (UPDATE)

Politics Materials 30 June 2011 17:14 (UTC +04:00)
Lamberto Zannier has been appointed the new OSCE Secretary General. He has replaced Marc Perrin de Brichambaut on this post, said in the organization's statement.
Lamberto Zannier appointed new OSCE Secretary General (UPDATE)

Details added after the second paragraph (the first version was posted at 16:45)

Azerbaijan, Baku, June 30 / Trend A. Gasimova /

Lamberto Zannier has been appointed the new OSCE Secretary General. He has replaced Marc Perrin de Brichambaut on this post, said in the organization's statement.
Zannier has been appointed through a unanimous Ministerial Council decision by the 56 participating States, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis announced today.

He said he is pleased to announce that the Italian diplomat will take the helm of this organization.

"It is a critical time for OSCE participating States as we must address existing security challenges, including protracted conflicts in the region, prepare ourselves to effectively face new and emerging threats, and assume our wider responsibilities to support our partner countries, including Afghanistan and states in North Africa," Ažubalis emphasized.

He said the OSCE Secretary General must support and advance these efforts, and Ambassador Zannier's experience and expertise will serve the organization well over the next years."

A career diplomat, Zannier was the Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre from 2002 to 2006. Since June 2008 he has served as UN Special Representative for Kosovo and the Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo.

"I am honoured to assume the post of Secretary General of this Organization that I know well and that has a key role to play in promoting our shared values and combating common security threats," said Zannier, who will begin his duties on 1 July. "I look forward to working with the OSCE participating States to address these challenges."

The OSCE Secretary General acts as the representative of the Chairperson-in-Office, and as the OSCE's Chief Administrative Officer. He or she is appointed by the Ministerial Council for a period of three years, and may be renewed for a further term.

Ažubalis also presented an award to departing Secretary General Perrin de Brichambaut for his contribution to comprehensive security and dialogue in the OSCE region.

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