Russia must end its war and stop trying to undermine dialogue: UK statement to the OSCE
Ambassador Neil Holland thanks Denmark for their professional and principled chairing of the Forum for Security Cooperation, despite Russia鈥檚 repeated distractions and breaches of its OSCE commitments.
Thank you to you Mr Chair and to the Acting State Secretary from Denmark for your remarks. Mr Chair, dear Christian, I want to also thank you and your team for your professional, polite and principled stewardship of this Forum over the past Trimester.
We fully support your efforts to keep the FSC focused on Russia鈥檚 unprovoked, full-scale and illegal invasion of Ukraine.聽The invasion is in its third year and continues to violate the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act鈥檚 core principles, including those on sovereignty, territorial integrity and the non-use of force.聽Principles which Ukraine is fighting for, and which my Prime Minister has promised the UK will 鈥榮upport for as long as it takes鈥�. Under your stewardship, we have shown that these principles and this Forum continue to matter and that we will keep on defending both.
Mr Chair, all of your Security Dialogues rightly focused on different aspect of Russia鈥檚 war, notably on the Code of Conduct and the Helsinki Decalogue.聽We discussed the pattern of Russia contravening OSCE principles across the OSCE region.聽As we have documented since February 2022, Russia鈥檚 war in Ukraine is contravening the whole Decalogue and the Code. Russia stationing its forces in Georgia and Moldova, without their consent, also contravenes the Decalogue and Code.
Mr Chair, perhaps that is why Russia continues to do everything it can to avoid this Forum from meeting to discuss these violations.聽For a third Trimester in a row, Russia has attempted to prevent the FSC Chair from hosting Security Dialogues.聽For a second Trimester in a row, Russia has attempted to prevent the FSC Chair from holding sessions with only mandated agenda items.聽For a second year in a row, and despite repeated requests from Chairs and other States, the Russian delegation has studiously avoided articulating any issues with the mandated Agenda, let alone offering alternatives.
The Rules of Procedure remain clear.聽Under these, the Chair is mandated to 鈥榚nsure the good order and smooth running of meetings鈥�. It is the Chair鈥檚 prerogative to set the agenda.聽And it is the Chair鈥檚 prerogative to select and invite guest speakers.聽No other State may dictate to the Chair 鈥� let alone issue ultimatums.聽Mr Chair, thank you for standing up for the mandate in a polite and principled manner.聽You ensured that the FSC has met weekly to discuss its mandated agenda items.
As I said last Trimester, there remains another path.聽If Russia鈥檚 professed wish for peace is genuine, Russia must end this war by withdrawing all of its forces to outside of Ukraine鈥檚 internationally recognised borders.聽And from Georgia and Moldova.聽If Russia is serious about dialogue and risk reduction, it must stop trying to undermine our Ministerial mandate of this Forum meeting each week.
I wish to conclude by thanking Croatia as it leaves the FSC Troika, and to welcome Estonia.聽The incoming Chair, Spain, can count on the UK鈥檚 full and continued support next Trimester 鈥� including in its prerogative as FSC Chair.聽Thank you.