NEWS

OSCE Foreign Ministers to meet in Almaty on 16-17 July

ASTANA, 7 July 2010 - An informal meeting of OSCE Foreign Ministers, hosted by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakhstan's State Secretary and Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev, will be held on 16 and 17 July near Almaty.

During the meeting, to take place at the Ak-Bulak Resort, 35 kilometres south-east of Almaty, Foreign Ministers and other high-level representatives from the 56 OSCE participating States will consider matters related to security in Europe and the OSCE's role, including the agenda of a possible OSCE Summit proposed by the Kazakhstan's OSCE Chairmanship. Some 40 Foreign Ministers are set to participate in the informal meeting.

Journalists are invited to cover the event. The opening session, final press conference on 17 July and briefings with selected Ministers and high-level officials will be open to media. Information about other media opportunities will be provided at the venue.

Advance media accreditation is mandatory. A media accreditation form can be found on Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry website:

http://portal.mfa.kz/portal/page/portal/mfa/en/content/press/OSCE-inform-Almaty-2010.

Accreditation forms must be submitted together with a photo by 10 July 2010 to Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry at pressa@mid.kz and news@mfa.kz.

Contact person for media accreditation at the Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan: Makhsura Maskhudova, news@mfa.kz, +7 7172 7202 36

Please note that journalists accredited to the OSCE in Vienna or in any other OSCE locations still need to apply for separate accreditation by submitting the form.

Journalists should consult the nearest Embassy of Kazakhstan to check if they need an entry visa prior to their arrival in the country.

Date of issue: 2010-07-07