It is my pleasure to welcome Ambassador Burkhard to the Permanent Council—in his first appearance before us—and to thank him for his work to transform the old OSCE Mission in Ukraine into the current Project Office. OSCE is marked by flexibility and creativity. This new endeavor is a signal of our continuing effort in that respect to work with States in new ways and to accomplish new tasks.

We are impressed with the large number of projects that are already in operation, or that are planned and will begin shortly.

We believe the comprehensive reform of human rights legislation is a particularly worthwhile endeavor. Future projects might usefully address issues in the economic dimension.

We look forward to regular updates—either in writing, or presentations before the Council or OSCE bodies—on the progress of these various projects.