Skopje, 9 July 2023 (MIA) - The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (CiO) and Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani has presented new initiative for establishment of Ohrid Center for Peace and Mediation within North Macedonia's OSCE Chairpersonship.

Osmani said that establishment of Ohrid Center for Peace and Mediation, as mark of country’s OSCE Charipersonship, will be a regional research center for peace, mediation and conflict resolution under the OSCE auspices.

Ohrid Center target groups will include young people, women, diplomats, academic community and civil society. 

“Let's create a Center in Ohrid as a product of the partnership between the Government of North Macedonia and the OSCE, which will tend to grow into a regional center for peace, mediation, conflict resolution and a forum for regional security dialogue and research, within the framework of the entire OSCE region," Osmani said.

The idea is to use domestic experiences and successful examples for the Ohrid Center to become a regional but also a "hub" within the framework of the entire OSCE region for research, analyses, mediation and political recommendations for resolving disputes and conflicts.

The center will offer advice, training, policies and specific services for mediation and support for dispute resolution processes.

With the establishment of the Ohrid Center, the importance of the Organization will be emphasized in times of serious conflict in Europe, caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine, as well as the ability of the OSCE to further establish additional mechanisms aimed at resolving conflicts.

It is foreseen that the Ohrid Center will start operating with a smaller team, aimed at growing into larger center in the future in the OSCE region.

Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs