DUSHANBE, December 1, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi yesterday departed for Athens, Greece to attend the 17th OSCE Ministerial Council, which is taking place there on December 1-2, according to the MFA information department.

During his stay in Athens, Zarifi is expected to hold talks with a number of his counterparts from the OSCE participating States.  Tajik minister will hold talks with heads of delegations of the United States, Germany, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria and Greece.

Zarifi is also scheduled to hold talks with Mr. Marc Perrin de Brichambeau, Secretary General of the OSCE, Mr. Herbert Zalber, Director of OSCE Secretariat Conflict Prevention Center, Mr. Knut Vollebaek, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, and Mr. Pierre Morel, European Union Special Representative for Central Asia.  The meetings will consider issues related to cooperation of Tajikistan with the OSCE and the European Union.

The OSCE Ministerial Council, which is starting in Athens today, will discuss the future of European security.  The OSCE foreign ministers will adopt decisions and give political guidelines on a wide range of topics encompassing all three OSCE dimensions.