Minister for Foreign Affairs Emma Bonino met today in Rome with Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Their discussion centred on questions concerning the Vienna-based organisation’s authority, ahead of the ministerial meeting to be held in Kiev on 5-6 December.
Ambassador Zannier also met at the foreign ministry with Deputy Minister Dassù, Secretary General Ambassador Valensise and Director General for Political Affairs and Security Ambassador De Bernardin.
Italy is among the main contributors to OSCE. Our contribution to the 2013 budget was 14.75 million euro (10% of the budget), which was equal to those of France, Germany and the UK and less only than that of the United States. Italy also made a contribution of approximately one million euro, also in 2013, to supplement the remuneration of Italian officials seconded to OSCE to participate in electoral observer missions, and help finance OSCE extra-budgetary projects.
