DUSHANBE, June 2, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Visiting OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Ambassador Knut Vollebaek, is scheduled to hold talks with President Emomali Rahmon today afternoon.

According to presidential press service, the sides will discuss issues related to state of ethnic minorities in Tajikistan and observance of their rights.

Ambassador Knut Vollebaek was appointed to the post of High Commissioner on National Minorities of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for a three-year term on 4 July 2007, succeeding Mr. Rolf Ekéus of Sweden.

The post of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities was established in 1992 to identify and seek early resolution of ethnic tensions that might endanger peace, stability or friendly relations between OSCE participating States.

The High Commissioner''s task is to provide "early warning" and, as appropriate, "early action" at the earliest possible stage "in regard to tensions involving national minority issues which have not yet developed beyond an early warning stage, but, in the judgement of the High Commissioner, have the potential to develop into a conflict within the OSCE area".

The HCNM thus has a two­fold mission: first, to try to contain and de-escalate tensions and, second, to act as a "tripwire," meaning that he is responsible for alerting the OSCE whenever such tensions threaten to develop to a level at which the High Commissioner cannot contain them with the means at his/her disposal.