Prime Minister at Montenegro's Helsinki 1975 CSCE Final Act signing ceremony

Honourable Prime Minister, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure and an honour to welcome you, your Excellency, Prime Minister Djukanovic, and our distinguished guests. We are here at the Finlandia Hall to mark another step in the process that began 31 years ago. In 1975 the world and the political landscape of Europe were drastically different from those of today. However, the values, norms and principles enshrined in the Helsinki CSCE Final Act remain just as pertinent and valuable in the world today.

Since the convening of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe in 1975, the world has witnessed memorable events and developments. The CSCE itself has gone through major changes. In 1994 the Conference became an Organisation, the OSCE. And the number of OSCE participating States has increased from the original 35 States to now 56 states, many of them from the Western Balkans. We congratulate the citizens of Montenegro for the independence of their country. The process to independence took place peacefully and was based on the respect of the principles of the OSCE.

The OSCE today cherishes the legacy of the CSCE, but the real added value of the OSCE can not only be found in the norms and commitments it stands for, but also in the work it does in the field to implement these commitments. In fact, the thrust of the work of the Organisation has moved from the headquarters to field activities, from the negotiation tables to polling stations. The importance of conflict prevention, the promotion and strengthening of human rights, democracy support, the rule of law and civil society in the whole OSCE region from Vancouver to Vladivostok has not diminished over the years.

The Organisation's comprehensive concept of security, which includes the politico-military, economic and environmental, and human dimensions, has not become outdated. In fact, more and more organisations have come to embrace this comprehensive view of security, underlining the inherent links between the various aspects of security.

The Republic of Montenegro is the most recent state within the OSCE area to become sovereign and independent. The EU welcomed Montenegro's commitment to adhere to OSCE norms, values and principles and fully supported Montenegro's accession to the Organisation. We also welcome Montenegro?s continued close cooperation with the OSCE to promote stability and democracy.

Honourable Prime Minister, Excellencies, distinguished guests,

It is my great pleasure and honour to invite you, dear Colleague, to sign the Helsinki 1975 CSCE Final Act and on my behalf to warmly welcome the Republic of Montenegro as a participating State of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Please, Prime Minister