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7391st Security Council on Security and Cooperation in Europe
7391st Meeting (AM)
Noting that the ongoing political crisis and escalating violence in eastern Ukraine was a top priority for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), its newly installed Chairperson-in-Office today urged full adherence to the ceasefire between Ukraine and pro-separatist Russian forces to facilitate the withdrawal by both sides of heavy weapons and equipment from the area and other steps agreed to earlier in the month.
Ukraine was at a critical juncture, and the truce announced on 12 February by the leaders of the Russian Federation, Ukraine, France and Germany was the “best available road map to bring about calm”, and enable the OSCE special monitoring and verification mission to carry out its mandate under the Minsk agreements, Ivica Dačić, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia, said in a briefing to the Security Council.
“We hope that the political will displayed by the signatories to the Package of Measures in Minsk will prevail to ensure the guns are silenced and human suffering is eased,” he told the 15-member body.
OSCE had worked continuously to find a diplomatic solution, he said, stressing that the highly divisive crisis in Ukraine had highlighted OSCE’s enduring strengths and advantages to bridge growing rifts and facilitate cooperative solutions, thus demonstrating its relevance to European security.
OSCE had proved itself capable of substantive engagement under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, he said. The deployment of its special monitoring mission in Ukraine and the observer mission at the Russian checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk along the Ukrainian-Russian border illustrated the organization’s ability to launch collective action even during a highly divisive crisis.
Turning to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, he emphasized the importance of coordination and cooperation between OSCE and the relevant United Nations agencies to identify urgent needs. Furthermore, the detrimental impact of that crisis on the broader OSCE agenda, in particular on the protracted conflicts in Moldova and southern Caucasus, must not be overlooked.
Addressing prolonged conflicts was high on Serbia’s agenda as current OSCE Chair, he said, adding that small but concrete steps would help improve trust and confidence among the parties and could pave the way for addressing problems effectively.
He expressed particular concern over recent developments in the dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, noting that he met earlier this month with the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group set up to discuss steps to decrease tensions in the region and facilitate high-level dialogue towards a peaceful settlement.
OSCE stood ready to make its experiences in those areas available to the United Nations High-level Panel on Peacekeeping Operations, he said, and added that the body’s antiterrorism activities was another example of the substantial contribution of regional organizations in support of United Nations-led efforts. OSCE was committed to creating new synergies with the United Nations in key regions of common interest, including Eastern Europe, South-East Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Afghanistan, as well as the southern Mediterranean.
Taking the floor after Mr. Dačić’s briefing, Council members lauded OSCE efforts in building peace and stability in the region and emphasized the importance of ensuring safe and unfettered access for the organization’s monitors in Ukraine. They also voiced their commitment to deepening cooperation between the United Nations and OSCE.
Making statements were the representatives of the Russian Federation, Spain, Lithuania, Chile, New Zealand, France, United Kingdom, Chad, Nigeria, Jordan, Angola, Venezuela, United States, Malaysia and China.
The meeting began at 10:11 a.m. and ended at 12:13 p.m.
