The Meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) took place in Vienna from 7 to 8 December 2017. It was chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and designated Chancellor of Austria Mr Sebastian Kurz. Foreign ministers of the 57 participating states of the OSCE took part in the Meeting. The Republic of Cyprus was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Alexandros N. Zenon. Τhe Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus to the OSCE, Ambassador Marios Ieronymides, as well as the Deputy Permanent Representative Ms Elena Thoma also participated.
In his address to the Plenary of the Council, the Permanent Secretary referred to the issue of terrorism, informing about the measures taken by the government of the Republic of Cyprus in fighting it. He underlined the regional role, that Cyprus plays in security issues, focusing on the Mediterranean region. He also stressed the important role of the trilateral cooperation with countries of the Eastern Mediterranean on countering terrorism and on the extension of the cooperation to other fields of common interest.
On the margins of the Μinisterial Council, Mr Zenon had meetings with a number of Foreign Ministers of the participating states. He also had meetings with the High Commissioner on National Minorities of the OSCE Mr Lamberto Zannier, as well as with the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Mr Harlem Désir.