SPECIAL INSERT: Mercedes Benz
The Slovenia Times Slovenian Magazine in English Language Autumn Edition 2018, Volume 15, EUR 4.90
www.sloveniatimes.com
Thomas Greminger, OSCE Equilibrist: Marjan Šarec, Hiša Franko entered the list of Douglas Rushkoff: "Apple built Secretary General: "We have to the new Slovenian prime minister the World’s 50 Best Restaurants the so-called e-world, get back to rule-based security" now it’s about 'I' "
Report: 13th Bled Strategic Forum: Bridging the divide In the Spotlight
Thomas Greminger, PhD, Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE); Photo: Tamino Petelinšek/STA
Interview: Thomas Greminger, PhD, Secretary General of the Organization for Q The global security environment has be- come unpredictable; violent extremism, cy- Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) bercrime and the considerable movement
In the long term of people fleeing war. To prevent crises from turning into conflicts and to confront transnational challenges, you have said that, "Trust is the glue that holds interna- tional relations together". How would you
we have to get back define trust within the larger vision of the OSCE as the guardian of European secu- rity?
to rule-based security A The vision is that we all get back to rule- based security. In order to get there, we need to rebuild trust. We need to identify areas where the interests converge and then gradually rebuild trust. That is something we can do in the short term. In the medium term, we will By Tina Drolc, M.Sc., MBA need to resolve the crisis around Ukraine. In the long term, we will need to go back to the common understanding of the principles and Ambassador Thomas Greminger, appointed Secretary General of the OSCE on commitment around rule-based security. 18 July 2017 for a three-year term, visited Slovenia for the 13th Bled Strategic Q What exactly do you have in mind for the Forum. As part of the forum’s special panel he discussed the prospects for long term? multilateralism and the EU’s power. He explains the need to extend, reinvent and reform the multilateral approaches and communicate them better because A There have been serious violations of the principles and commitments, and it is obvious "we have come to a stage where political military issues are back on the European that we have a diverging understanding. If you security agenda – who would have thought this some ten years ago", highlighted access the recent history of how we have come Mr Greminger. since the cold war into the current situation of
4 The Slovenian Times | Autumn Edition 2018 In the Spotlight
distrust between the key stakeholders of Euro- Slovenia is in a way a role Q Britain decided to leave the EU when Atlantic Security, you will identify at least two, the Union already faced multiple chal- if not three, different narratives. In the short model and a strong promotor lenges. The remaining EU member states term it is important to acknowledge that we of regional cooperation; I would will now have to work closely together and have different narratives and now we need to define common strategies to tackle the try to come out of this current impasse. Again, very much hope that Slovenia challenges of migration, economic and fi- in the long term, we will have to come to terms continues on this path. nancial uncertainty and of Euroscepticism. with these different narratives that we need to Could the challenge to maintain a strong somehow reconcile. EU voice within the OSCE context increase escalate and spin out of control; the ceasefire in the post-Brexit EU? Q We often hear that sometimes it seems violations and the victim figures have never we do not learn from history… been lower since the beginning of the conflict A I would not applaud Brexit. Should Brexit than in this summer. This, as such, is good, come about, the EU will face a number of chal- A There is the challenge over the risk of sleep- but it is not satisfactory because at the same lenges; one is to continue security cooperation walking into a crisis and indeed, we have come time we are not moving towards resolving the with the UK. The good news is what EU negoti- to a stage where political military issues are conflict and there is the matter of political ator, Mr Michel Barnier, recently told us at the back on our European security agenda – who commitment by the parties to implement all of Bled Strategic Forum, that we will be able to would have thought that some ten years ago. the provisions of the Minsk Agreement. Here, maintain a high degree of coordination and co- We thought this had gone! So, these issues the margin for manoeuvre by the OSCE is quite operation in the fields of internal and external are back, we have conflict back and more and limited if there is not enough political will. security. I am confident that the EU will man- more military risks again, and these are signs age to maintain a very strong and compelling of alarm that we should take seriously. Q How many people participate the SMM? voice, in particular, in the OSCE after Brexit. I would say there is a set of issues that go be- Q How do you see the regional coopera- A Right now we have 714 monitors. 80% are yond Brexit as there is the more fundamental tion among the Balkan countries and what active in the Donbas. The entire mission is question of multilateralism. We need to ex- is the imperative for Slovenia and its role in 1,250 staff mission and it is by far the biggest tend, reinvent and reform the multilateral ap- the region, particularly with regard to Slove- operation of the OSCE. proaches and consequently communicate these nia’s central geographical position "in the approaches better; maybe to get an inspiration heart of Europe"? Q According to Chatham House (London), from the populists, how they communicate "The challenge of transforming Ukrainian politics. We need to get better in explaining to A Slovenia is in a way a role model and a strong institutions requires a smarter, more flexi- the audience how we, as a multilateral institu- promotor of regional cooperation; I would very ble and more differentiated approach to us- tion, matter; why we make a difference for him much hope that Slovenia continues on this ing EU assistance for individual projects." or her. In addition, we need to be self-critical path. Slovenia has just successfully chaired the How do you approach it? Do you see it as a about our instruments and tools, do they have forum for security cooperation, is contributing challenge? an impact or not and here comes the OSCE 'fit to the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, for purpose' agenda of which the main purpose is supportive of my "fit for purpose" reform A We are a much smaller actor when it comes is that our organization stays effective and ef- agenda at the OSCE and has been a champion to the building of institutions in Ukraine. In a ficient. in terms of promoting gender mainstreaming. way, yes it is true, EU projects are not enough, I hope this commitment will continue with the but then again it is important that we bring in new government. the technical know-how and then this needs to be combined with political messaging and the Q The crisis in Ukraine is widening the rift political commitment of the Ukraine to gov- I am confident that the EU will between Moscow and the West, raising sig- ernment push the reform through. manage to maintain a very nificant questions about both European se- curity and Russia’s place in the world. The Q What have been the main achievements strong and compelling voice, in OSCE responds to the crisis in and around by the OSCE in the area of cyber/ICT secu- particular, in the OSCE after Brexit. Ukraine with the OSCE Special Monitoring rity in recent years? Mission to Ukraine (SMM), deployed on 21 March 2014. What has been the main pro- A I would see cybersecurity as one of those is- gress of the mission so far? sues where the interests converge and indeed, the OSCE is the only regional organization A We have been fairly good in managing the that has managed to come up with confidence- conflict, making sure that the conflict does not building measures. We have identified 16 confidence-building measures and the focus is on preventing misperceptions and miscal- We have come to a stage where culations regarding ICT use by states. If you suspect an attack by another state, you need political military issues are mechanisms to identify whether you are right back on our European security or wrong. The challenge now is to implement these measures in a climate of distrust, but I agenda – who would have thought do believe there is a common interest by all 57 that some ten years ago. members to do that.
Autumn Edition 2018 | The Slovenian Times 5