The 2011 Vienna Document Event begins in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

•  The main activities of this event, which includes delegates from 24 OSCE countries, are visits to Gando Air Base and the XV ‘Canarias’ Brigade

The Spanish Verification Unit (UVE) today begins the celebration of the 2011 Vienna Document Event, ‘DV11 Event’, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, attended by representatives from 24 countries of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The main activities of the ‘DV11 Event’ are a visit to Gando Air Base, which will take place tomorrow, and a visit to the ‘Canarias’ XVI Brigade, which will take place on Wednesday.

The event begins today with the reception of participants, who will be welcomed by the head of the UVE, Colonel Armada. In addition, delegates will also attend a presentation today on the events that have been organized.

Every five years, each OSCE nation that is a signatory to the DV11 treaty organizes this type of event on its territory. This is the first time it has taken place in the Canary Islands. The main military authorities of the islands will be present, accompanying the group of delegates from 24 OSCE countries.

Specifically, the countries participating in the ‘DV11 Event’ are Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. In addition, a representative from the OSCE Conflict Prevention Center is present.

This initiative fulfills one of the commitments adopted through the Vienna Document 2011 (VD11), which was signed by 57 OSCE member states and stipulates that participants must organize, at least once every five years, a VD11 Event consisting of a visit to an air base and a military facility. These activities are intended to promote confidence- and security-building measures in Europe.