EU statement delivered by H.E. Ambassador Stanislav Raščan
The EU welcomes the timely conclusion of the appointment process of the new director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.
The EU thanks all participating States that put forward candidates for this position. Every candidate was of a very high calibre, which is a welcome sign of the importance that States attach to the role of the ODIHR and its director.
The EU wishes to take this opportunity to express its appreciation for the openness and the transparency of the selection process conducted by the Chairmanship.
The EU congratulates State Secretary Janez Lenarčič on his appointment and pledges its firm support for him in his future role. We urge all participating States to support ODIHR and the invaluable work that it does.
The EU thanks Ambassador Christian Strohal for his untiring efforts during his successful tenure as director of the ODIHR. We are grateful for the professionalism Ambassador Strohal has shown.
The candidate countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, the European Free Trade Association countries and members of the European Economic Area Iceland and Liechtenstein, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Azerbaijan align themselves with this statement.
* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process
