Personal envoy to Ukraine appointed

Tim Guldimann is the new personal envoy on Ukraine Keystone

Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter has appointed a personal envoy to Ukraine to coordinate the activities of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Switzerland holds the OSCE chairmanship for 2014.

“Ambassador Tim Guldimann will rapidly take up consultations with all sides and will cooperate closely with international partners,” Burkhalter said while addressing the UN Security Council in New York on Monday.

Guldimann, an experienced diplomat as well as Switzerland’s ambassador to Germany, has headed two OSCE field operations.

A small OSCE core team has been sent to Kiev to assess needs and potential support measures for Ukraine. Guldimann’s first talks there were scheduled for Monday evening. Feedback is expected within the next few days.

In his speech to the security council, Burkhalter cited the political crisis and related violence in Ukraine as evidence that security in Europe cannot be taken for granted.

“These developments have revealed the need to foster dialogue, re-establish trust, and rebuild bridges both within Ukraine and across the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian region. It is my firm conviction that the OSCE has a major role to play on both counts, Burkhalter said.

The foreign minister proposed the creation of an “International Contact Group” on Ukraine – the main task of which would be to support Ukraine during its transition period. He stated that Guldimann would coordinate all ongoing and planned activities of the OSCE in Ukraine on behalf of the Swiss chairmanship.

Burkhalter also presented Switzerland’s chairmanship priorities. With an overarching goal of creating a security community for everyone’s benefit, he said Switzerland would focus on fostering security and stability, on improving people’s lives and on strengthening the OSCE’s capacity to act during 2014.