ForMin Aurescu at OSCE: We cannot allow any attempt to undermine present parameters of European security architecture
Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu attended the summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Tuesday to launch the Renewed European Security Dialogue, on which occasion he spoke out against any attempt to undermine the "European security architecture".
According to a release sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE), Minister Aurescu referred, in his intervention, to the recent evolutions in the Eastern Neighborhood. "In recent years, we have witnessed a deteriorating security situation in the OSCE region," he said.
The head of Romanian diplomacy pointed out that, at the moment, "the security context is more seriously damaged, following the consolidation of the military presence at the borders of Ukraine and in the Black Sea region, including through the massive deployment of troops".
Bogdan Aurescu reiterated his call for de-escalation and dialogue, as well as for the observance of the principles and obligations assumed by all OSCE participating states.
"The key-concept of the OSCE through comprehensive cooperation continues to be of major relevance, as do the principles set out in the Helsinki Final Act and the Paris Charter for a New Europe. All these fundamental principles are of equal importance," the Romanian Minister said at the opening of the meeting.
He pointed out that behind the current "unfortunate" security situation there is not the lack of rules, but the lack of enforcement.
"We need to start this dialogue process with a sincere self-assessment at the OSCE level of why the current security situation is deteriorating. And our answer is that behind this unfortunate situation is not the lack of rules, but the lack of norm application. Therefore, we cannot allow any attempt to undermine the current parameters of the European security architecture (...). Romania continues to be convinced that security and stability in the OSCE area can only be restored by implementing in good faith all existing agreements and respecting OSCE principles, values and commitments," Bogdan Aurescu said, according to the quoted source.
The Minister also expressed regret over the situations that hinder the implementation of the mandate of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
In this context, the head of Romanian diplomacy called for increased efficiency in the implementation of OSCE mechanisms for resolving protracted conflicts in the Black Sea region, including by evaluating these instruments in this new dialogue format.
The OSCE Summit was held in Vienna in hybrid format by Poland, as the OSCE Chair-in-Office for this year, marking the launch of a new political process called the Renewed European Security Dialogue. The aim is to provide a comprehensive framework for discussions on reducing the risk of confrontation and strengthening security and stability in the OSCE area, in the context of the security situation arising from the massaging of Russian equipment and personnel in the vicinity of Ukraine and the Black Sea.
Minister Bogdan Aurescu stated that the Renewed European Security Dialogue could be used to discuss the instruments of the OSCE conflict cycle in order to analyze their capabilities and needs, as well as to improve them. He also stressed the importance of managing security threats in the energy and cyber spheres in the new political process.