Statement by Ambassador Eglantina Gjermeni, in response to the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Switzerland’s Foreign Minister, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis

Special meeting of the Permanent Council, 15 January 2026, Vienna

Thank you, Mr. Chairman,
Councillor Cassis,
Excellencies,

Albania warmly welcomes Switzerland as Chairperson of the OSCE. We thank you, Federal Councilor Cassis, for presenting the priorities of the Swiss Chairpersonship. Albania looks forward to working closely with the Swiss Chairpersonship, building on the strong record of cooperation between our two countries, both bilaterally and within multilateral frameworks.

We also wish to express our appreciation to Finland for its leadership in 2025 and for the important discussions it advanced, including on the future functioning and reform of our Organization.

Switzerland places its Chairpersonship under the banner of dialogue, trust, and security. Albania strongly supports this approach.

The Helsinki principles remain a pragmatic response to insecurity. They are not a historical reference, but an operational compass. At a time of deep geopolitical strain, maintaining cohesion within societies and among participating States is essential for stability.

Ukraine will rightly remain the foremost priority of the Swiss Chairpersonship. Albania supports the continued assistance to Ukraine in managing the consequences of the war. At the same time, the OSCE must remain institutionally prepared to act, should conditions arise for de-escalation or a broader peace process, at the request of the parties.

We also welcome the Chairpersonship’s commitment to reinforcing the OSCE as an inclusive platform for dialogue. While dialogue works best when there is trust, it does not require it; dialogue can help manage the absence of trust. By keeping channels open, the OSCE reduces uncertainty and helps contain risks, including in emerging areas such as cyber security and new technologies.

Mr. Chairperson,

Albania is honored by the confidence placed in us by the Swiss Chairpersonship to chair the Third Committee, the Human Dimension Committee. We are grateful for this trust and take this responsibility seriously.

At a moment when human rights are increasingly subject to divergent interpretations, our objective is clear. We aim to help foster shared understanding of our human dimension commitments and to support constructive, principled dialogue among participating States. We will build on the work of previous chairs and strive to keep the human dimension a space of convergence rather than division.

On reforms, Albania welcomes the pragmatic approach of the Swiss Chairpersonship and recognizes the groundwork laid under the Finnish Chairpersonship. We support careful, targeted reforms that strengthen efficiency, improve predictability, and reduce unnecessary costs, while safeguarding the OSCE’s core mandates.

In this context, the lack of predictability remains a central challenge for our Organization. The absence of agreement on a unified budget and the continued uncertainty regarding a Chairpersonship for 2027 undermine institutional continuity and credibility. These issues require timely solutions and shared responsibility.

Reform discussions should also allow for an honest assessment of OSCE field operations. It should not be taboo to reflect on the scale-down, or eventual closure, of missions in regions such as South East Europe, where countries are making tangible progress toward European Union integration. In this regard, Albania also sees a pressing need for a comprehensive revision of the OSCE Mission in Kosova, which continues to operate under parameters established in a very different context.

Mr. Chairman,

Albania stands ready to work closely with the Swiss Chairpersonship, the Secretary General, the independent institutions, and all participating States. Our goal is to ensure that the OSCE remains credible, responsive, and effective throughout the year ahead, at a time when expectations are high and responsibilities continue to grow.

Thank you.