SKOPJE (dpa-AFX) – Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called on the members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to oppose the blockade by Russia. Cooperation in the OSCE must be further strengthened, “even though Russia has put massive obstacles in the way of the OSCE’s work over the last year and a half,” said the Green politician on Thursday on the sidelines of the annual ministerial conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the North Macedonian capital Skopje.
“The Russian government’s perfidious game is and was to destroy organizations that rely on peaceful coexistence and cooperation with the brutal war of aggression against Ukraine,” criticized Baerbock, who added: “And we won’t allow that .” Like no other organization, the OSCE stands for the security of more than 1.3 billion people, meaning that they want to live together in peace and security and good economic development.
Germany has provided a total of 21 million euros in 2023 to ensure that the OSCE can not only continue to function technically, but also that it can also carry out its work on site, said Baerbock. The fact that Russia has not succeeded in destroying the OSCE “is an important contribution to our peace order. And this peace order must continue.” This also means that we work together to ensure that there is another chairmanship for next year and top positions that can also implement the work of the OSCE.
Around 40 countries took part at ministerial level in the meeting of the 57 OSCE states, which lasted until Friday. It was eagerly awaited whether Lavrov would stick strictly to Russia’s blockade of the OSCE or take a more constructive approach.
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