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Thank you, Mr Chair. And a warm welcome to Permanent Secretary Louka.

Mr Chair, dear Andreas, I want to start by thanking you for your calm and professional stewardship of this Forum over the past trimester and to thank you and your whole team for ensuring that this Forum has remained relevant and able to fulfil its mandate.

We fully support your efforts to keep this Forum focused on Russia鈥檚 unprovoked, full-scale and illegal invasion of Ukraine, an invasion in its third year which continues to challenge the foundations of European security; which continues to violate the UN Charter; and which continues to flagrantly disregard the Helsinki Final Act鈥檚 core principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the non-use of force. Under your stewardship, we have shown that these principles and this Forum continue to matter; and that we will keep on defending both.聽This matters and we do not take it for granted.

Mr Chair, your Security Dialogues this trimester focused different thematic lenses on Ukraine. On issues including Humanitarian Mine Action, International Humanitarian Law, Environment and Security, and Women, Peace, and Security (WPS).聽I was particularly encouraged by the strong turn out last week for the WPS Security Dialogue and at your Side Event on gender.聽It remains essential that we continue to champion women鈥檚 full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation in political and peace processes.

Since 24 February 2022, we have seen the extraordinary determination of the Ukrainian people to defend their homeland. Each week, we have voiced our unequivocal support for Ukraine.聽And each week, we have condemned President Putin鈥檚 grave miscalculation of invading a sovereign neighbour. Russia thinks it can wait this war out, and that the West will eventually turn its attention elsewhere.聽Each week, we prove that is untrue.

Sadly, Russia has continued its destructive path in the OSCE. For a second trimester in a row, Russia blocked consensus on holding formal FSC Security Dialogues on International Humanitarian Law. On both occasions, Russia proposed speakers with no relevant expertise, before incorrectly implying that the Rules of Procedure conferred on it an entitlement to have panellists.聽Last week, Russia 鈥� once again 鈥� warned future FSC Chairs to hold what Russia considers 鈥榖alanced鈥� Dialogues with speakers of its own choosing.聽The Rules of Procedure are clear 鈥� selecting security dialogue topics and speakers remains the prerogative of the FSC Chair.聽Russia鈥檚 threats have no basis in our rules 鈥� or indeed in diplomatic etiquette.

Mr Chair, Russia鈥檚 actions in the FSC this trimester are sadly a continuation of what I said last Trimester.聽The Russian delegation can throw up as much chaff as they like about the work of the FSC and other States鈥� interactions with this Forum.聽But there is one simple fact that lies behind any dysfunction in the FSC.聽And that is that one participating State, Russia, has invaded another and in doing so trampled over the principles of this organisation and of international humanitarian law.聽Everything else is subordinate to and derivative from that act of brutality. Perhaps that is why Russia continues to do everything it can to avoid a discussion on these issues.聽Thank you again, Mr Chair, for standing up to such behaviour.

I wish to conclude by thanking Canada as it leaves the FSC Troika, and to welcome Denmark. The incoming Chair, Croatia, can count on the UK鈥檚 full and continued support next trimester 鈥� including in its prerogative as Chair.聽Thank you.