As delivered by Deputy Chief of Mission Gary Robbins
to the Permanent Council, Vienna
July 18, 2013
The United States welcomes Mr. Dimitry Mezentsev, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), to the Permanent Council today and thanks him for his presentation of the SCO’s current priorities and activities.
Mr. Mezentsev, we note that this is the second time this year you have joined an OSCE event. In March, you participated in the Secretary General’s Security Day Event on Afghanistan. We acknowledge your engagement with the OSCE.
Should engagement and coordination between the SCO and the OSCE increase, we hope that the SCO will come to recognize the value behind the OSCE’s unique comprehensive approach to security which directly links political-military security to economics, the environment, and in particular the crucial importance of respect for human rights and the rule of law as a foundation for our activity in all areas.
Thank you once again, Mr. Mezentsev, for your appearance here today.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
