The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is set to hold its first summit in 10 years in early December in Kazakhstan, the OSCE said Thursday, dpa reported.
The heads of state and government who will assemble in the Kazakh capital Astana are set to discuss strategies for dealing with challenges to Europe's security, especially in Central Asia, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said in a statement.
He noted that the 56-member organization faces several challenges, including security in Central Asia and Afghanistan, as well as drug trafficking and terrorism.
In recent years, the Vienna-based organization has also grappled with defining its role in post-Cold War Europe and with Russia's assertive foreign policy.
"I am convinced that a summit meeting will make it possible to adapt our organization to the present-day realities," said Nazarbayev, whose country currently holds the OSCE chairmanship.
The meeting is scheduled for December 1 and 2.
The 56-country OSCE is the only regional security body in which both the United States and Russia are members.