OSCE bicycle tour from Vienna to Bratislava contributed to promoting connectivity in the OSCE area

ASTANA. KAZINFORM The OSCE participating states approached creatively to the issues of promoting connectivity and strengthening the spirit of cooperation by adopting sports and a healthy life style by organizing a diplomatic bicycle tour from Vienna to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.

At the start of the bicycle tour, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to International Organizations in Vienna, Ambassador Kairat Sarybay emphasized that this initiative was based on the idea of conveying to the incoming OSCE Chairmanship the Viennese spirit symbolizing cooperation and mutual understanding, the Kazakh MFA's press service reports.

The Kazakh diplomat noted that holding the first such event in the OSCE format implies promoting connectivity, which helps to strengthen confidence, security and interaction at the regional and global levels.

Ambassador Radomir Bogac, Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the OSCE and Mikulash Krippel Deputy Mayor of Bratislava, noted that bicycle tour along the Danube River is very symbolic: "as the Danube geographically connects several peoples and countries of Europe, and the OSCE unites participating states in a political format in order to deepen cooperation and promote joint efforts to resolve current challenges in the region".

This event was organized by the delegation of Kazakhstan as the chair of the OSCE Economic and Environmental Committee in cooperation with the OSCE Italian Chairmanship and incoming Slovak Chairmanship. Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives accredited to the OSCE, members of diplomatic missions and representatives of the OSCE Secretariat took part in the bicycle tour.

The diplomatic bicycle tour was a unique sport event that linked the two nearest capitals in the OSCE area, Vienna and Bratislava.